Bacon is one of the most popular breakfast foods in America and perhaps the most popular foods overall. Unfortunately, bacon has held a bad reputation for many years. The claims that bacon causes high cholesterol and ultimately leads to heart disease and other health issues are not true.
In fact, almost half of the fat in bacon is “monounsaturated,” which is full of oleic acid. This is the same fatty acid that olive oil is praised for and generally considered “heart-healthy”. Another 40% of bacon fat is saturated, while the remaining 10% polyunsaturated. In fact, saturated fat has now be shown to be far less worrisome and detrimental than previously thought, and dietary cholesterol has very minor effect to blood level cholesterol, if any at all.
Bacon Can Keep Your Brain Healthy
Bacon is a great source of a vital nutrient called “choline;” our brain and nervous system need it to regulate memory, mood, muscle control, and other functions. Studies show choline has been associated with increasing brain cell size, and preventing Alzheimer’s and Dementia.
Bacon Provides essential vitamins and minerals:
Bacon is full of the important, necessary vitamins and minerals our bodies need to function properly. It provides us with 47% of our Niacin (Vitamin B3), 10% of our Magnesium, 9% of Iron, 36% of Zinc, 24%, 22% of our Phosphorus, 10% of our Pantothenate. Bacon contains a whole range of B-vitamins, such as B1, B2, B3, B5, B6, and B12. B-vitamins are vital for many mechanisms in your body, and B-vitamin deficiency can lead to various issues with the heart, liver, kidney, and brain.
Bacon is Good For Your Heart
Bacon is a great source of Omega 3s. There are several studies that prove that the Omega-3 Fatty Acids and “choline” in bacon can actually protect the heart. Omega 3 can help to reduce your risk of strokes, Rheumatoid arthritis, and even help with depression.
Bacon Makes You Happy
Bacon is a natural mood enhancer as it contains the amino acid tyrosine, which has been shown to improve mood and cognitive function.
Bacon Can Help with the Thyroid
Bacon can help balance thyroid hormone levels as it contains selenium. 100 grams of bacon contains around 62 mcg of selenium. Selenium is needed to help convert T4 to T3.
Nitrates In Bacon – Common Myth
Let’s pause here to discuss nitrites and nitrates as clever marketers apply terms like “no-added nitrites” and “uncured” to their products to attract more customers. We’ve all have heard of so called studies linking nitrites to an increased incidence of stomach and colorectal cancer and yet the science is unclear and some studies even show that they may be healthy. In fact, studies have demonstrated that dietary nitrites have a protective antimicrobial role in our gut.
Moreover, vegetables are the greatest source of nitrates in our diets: Virtually all vegetables contain way more nitrates than bacon and processed meats. In fact, at least 85% of nitrate consumption in humans come from plants and only 6% from processed meats.
The Importance of Eating Pasture Raised Pork
The way your pork is raised can have a huge impact on the nutritional content. Most of the conventional pork products are raised on super crowded commercial farms under horrible conditions and antibiotics are often used to fight off the deadly diseases . This is not the case with pasture-raised pigs. Pasture-raised pork is a healthier and more ethical option.
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