Five Important Health Benefits of Lamb

1. Lamb Meat – A Fantastic Source of Iron

As a red meat, lamb inherently has a lot more iron than other protein sources like chicken or fish. In addition, since lamb is an animal source of iron, it contains heme iron rather than the non-heme iron found in plants. Heme iron is the more absorbable form of iron so consuming red meat like lamb can help to improve and prevent iron deficiency and anemia symptoms.

2. A Vitamin B Powerhouse

The National Institute of Health’s Dietary Office estimates that somewhere between 1.5% to 15 % of people in the U.S. are deficient in vitamin B12. Other studies, like one published by the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition in 2000, indicate that this number might be even higher, with up to 39% of the population possibly suffering from a vitamin B12 deficiency. Lamb is an awesome source of B12, just 3 ounces of lamb meat will provide half of most people’s daily B12 requirements.

But that’s not all — lamb is also loaded with other essential B vitamins, including vitamin B6, niacin (vitamin B3), riboflavin (vitamin B2) and pantothenic acid (vitamin B5). Vitamin B12 as well as these other B vitamins help our nervous systems function as they should, and ensure that the actual nerve cells are in a healthy state.

3. A Way to Boost Your Immune System

Lamb is loaded with immune-boosting zinc, just 3 ounces of lamb contains 4.4 mg zinc which is 30% of our daily value. Zinc is absolutely essential to optimal immune health, along with wound healing, DNA and protein synthesis, as well as growth and development in children.

4. Anti-Inflammatory Assets

Lamb does contain fat, but a significant portion of that fat is anti-inflammatory omega-3 fatty acids. Grass-fed lamb meat provides its consumers with conjugated linoleic acid (CLA). CLA has been shown to help aid fat loss and improve lean muscle mass.

5. A Healthy Source of Protein

Lamb is loaded with vital proteins, just one 3 ounce serving of lamb meat contains over 23 grams of protein. Protein does so much for the body, including providing it with slow-burning, sustainable fuel. It also helps your body build, repair and maintain muscle mass.

REFERENCES

Annette Weinberger. (June 11, 2017) Why Lamb is a smart choice. Retrieved from www.cafeevergreen.net/is-lamb-meat-a-healthier-red-meat/