Contents
What it is
Pork is the meat of the pig. It holds less myoglobin than beef, so it pales as it cooks, and the fat varies enormously by cut — tenderloin is nearly as lean as chicken breast, while pork belly is built of fat and meat in alternating layers. Pig fat melts at a low temperature, which is what gives pork its soft, melting quality in the mouth. The old advice to cook it right through came from parasites; farming conditions have changed, and several countries have since lowered their recommended temperature for loin and tenderloin.
What clearly separates pork from other meats is vitamin B1 (thiamine). At 0.87 mg per 100 g it holds more than eight times what beef does (under 0.1 mg), and a single serving covers over 70% of the daily requirement.
Thiamine is the key cofactor in converting carbohydrate into energy. The pairing of pork with rice-based meals works out neatly in nutritional terms.
Key benefits
- Nutrition data
Vitamin B1 is essential to carbohydrate metabolism
Thiamine is a cofactor for the enzymes that turn glucose into energy. Deficiency leads to beriberi and neurological symptoms, and requirements rise the more refined carbohydrate a diet contains.
- Nutrition data
Saturated fat varies enormously by cut
Tenderloin and leg run 3–5 g of fat per 100 g, close to chicken breast. Pork belly exceeds 30 g. The single word "pork" covers two completely different foods.
- Nutrition data
Rich in selenium
100 g provides more than half the daily requirement. Selenium forms part of glutathione peroxidase and contributes to antioxidant defence.
- Nutrition data
Complete protein plus zinc
27 g of protein per 100 g. Zinc is lower than in beef but still meaningful, and it is needed for immune cell function and wound healing.
How to eat it well
- Make tenderloin, loin and leg the default, and keep belly occasional.
- 63°C internal temperature is enough. The old 71°C standard has been lowered, and going beyond dries the meat out.
- Eating it with garlic and onion has a basis. Allicin binds thiamine in a way that is understood to aid its absorption and retention.
- Charring over charcoal generates harmful compounds, especially when dripping fat produces smoke.
- Serving it with leafy wraps fills in the fibre and potassium it lacks.
How to read the grades
Each benefit carries a label showing how far research on people supports it. Grades differ between items even within the same ingredient.
- Nutrition data
- A fact verifiable from food composition databases or health authorities. This is a different kind of statement from a clinical effect.
- Strong evidence
- Consistently confirmed across randomised controlled trials or meta-analyses.
- Moderate evidence
- Human studies exist, but effect sizes are small or results are mixed.
- Early research
- Cell or animal work, or small preliminary studies.
- Not established
- Commonly claimed, but not confirmed in studies on people.
What to watch out for
- Processed pork (ham, bacon, sausage) falls under the IARC Group 1 classification and should be separated from lean cuts.
- Belly and shoulder are high in saturated fat, which affects LDL cholesterol.
- Undercooked pork carries parasite and bacterial risk. Minced pork must be cooked through.
- With gout, account for the purine content.
- If you restrict phosphorus or protein for kidney disease, adjust your portions.
Nutrition
Approximate values per 100 g edible portion.
- Calories
- 242 kcal12%
- Protein
- 27.3 g55%
- Fat
- 14 g18%
- Vitamin B1
- 0.87 mg73%
- Selenium
- 38 µg69%
- Zinc
- 2.4 mg22%
- Phosphorus
- 246 mg20%
- Vitamin B12
- 0.7 µg29%
Percentages are of the US FDA Daily Value for adults and children 4 and over. National reference intakes differ by sex and age.
Calculate this alongside other ingredients →
Key nutrients
Dishes with this ingredient
Compare with
Sources
The databases and health authorities this article's nutrition figures and health statements draw on.
