Beef Gets an “A+” for B Vitamins
Feeling frazzled and stressed? Maybe it’s not solely your hectic pace, but a diet lacking in adequate B vitamins.
“B vitamins help with normal central nervous system functioning,” states Lisa Mina, RD, Nutrition Communications Manager for the Beef Information Centre. “This group of nutrients also helps your body use energy from food, which in turns provides you with energy.”
March has been designated National Nutrition Month by Dietitians of Canada, a professional organization to which B.I.C.’s team of registered dietitians are members. The theme of this year’s campaign is on the ABCs of Healthy Eating and focuses on antioxidants, B vitamins and calcium.
“Beef is an excellent dietary source of B vitamins – especially vitamin B12, which is found naturally only in animal products like meat, fish, poultry, eggs and milk,” informs Mina. “This vitamin is essential for the normal functioning of the central nervous system and the formation of blood. Often, the first signs of vitamin B12 deficiency are memory loss, fatigue, disorientation and mental confusion.”
Some of the nutrients found in individual beef cuts are available on the Beef Information Centre’s website (see direct link below). Both raw and cooked data are provided.
“It’s important to realize that moisture is naturally lost during cooking. The 100 gram raw beef cut weighs less when cooked,” explains Mina. “Since moisture is lost, some of the remaining nutrients are more concentrated than in a raw cut and some heat sensitive nutrients, like thiamin, are lower.”
Data on raw cuts are useful for making comparisons between protein choices whereas the data on cooked beef more closely reflects the nutrients actually consumed.
“Beef is a nutrient dense food. It provides 12 essential nutrients including high-quality protein, highly-available iron and zinc, six B vitamins plus phosphorus, potassium and magnesium,” adds Mina.
Selenium, an antioxidant, is also found in beef. Antioxidants play an important role in health maintenance and possibly, in disease prevention. Scientists are studying how antioxidants may prevent heart disease, cancer, cataracts and other conditions that occur as we age.
“A 120 gram serving of raw lean beef provides 24% of the recommended daily allowance for this antioxidant,” states Mina.
Nutrient Profile of Canadian Beef Cuts
Healthy Eating with Lean Beef