Are animal organs a health killer? Not necessarily, these 5 types are worth eating!

In many countries, people do not have the habit of eating animal offal. But in our country, animal offal can be used to make a variety of delicacies. What about Fuqi Feipian, Dry Pot Pig Intestine, Old Beijing Fried Liver, Barbecue Kidney, Hot Pot Tripe...

There are many kinds of animal offal, but there are also many controversial opinions about offal. Do offal threaten health? How much should we eat? Which offal is worth recommending?

Image source: Pixabay

Is it good or bad to have internal organs?

Organ meats have always been controversial, with some people believing that they contain toxins, high cholesterol and high fat, and are not good for health. However, these views are not entirely accurate.

1

The offal comes from regular channels, so you don’t have to worry about toxins.

Animal livers and kidneys help metabolize harmful ingredients such as drugs and heavy metals, but this does not mean that they store these substances. In addition, the national standard has limited requirements for harmful ingredients in fresh food. As long as the animal offal is purchased through formal channels and has passed quarantine, it can be eaten with confidence.

2

High cholesterol, fat, purine? Analyze specific parts of the body

It is true that some internal organs have high cholesterol and fat, but this does not mean that all internal organs have this condition.

(1) The fat content of most internal organs is not high, less than 5%. For example, the fat content of chicken gizzards, tripe, pork liver, and pork lungs is less than 5%, which is comparable to the fat content of milk. The fat content of the heart, kidney, brain, and pig intestines is relatively high, and most of them have a fat content of 7% to 12%, which is much lower than the average fat content of pork, which is 30.1%.

(2) The cholesterol content of most offal is less than 1/7 of that of egg yolk . Except for the brain, liver and kidney, the cholesterol content of other offal (intestines, stomach, heart, etc.) is mostly less than 200 mg per 100 g. Even if the cholesterol content of animal offal is relatively high, healthy people do not need to panic too much. In the 2015 U.S. Dietary Guidelines, the restriction on cholesterol in the diet was removed.

(3) Offal is indeed a high-purine food. High-purine food refers to food with a purine content of more than 150 mg per 100 g. Purine will be metabolized into uric acid in the body, which may aggravate the symptoms of people with high uric acid or gout. Try not to eat or eat less offal; during the acute attack of gout, offal must be avoided. For healthy people, we have the ability to metabolize purine, so we can eat offal occasionally.

In general, the "slander" against offal is not entirely correct. In fact, the nutritional value of animal offal is far beyond our imagination. Of course, this does not mean that we can enjoy it without scruples. How much is the appropriate amount to eat?

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Although offal is good, you can’t eat too much

Animal offal is rich in high-quality protein , which is comparable to lean meat. In addition, the content of vitamins and trace elements is outstanding, ranking among the best in various foods.

The Chinese Nutrition Society recommends in the "Dietary Guidelines for Chinese Residents (2022 Edition)": Offal foods are rich in fat-soluble vitamins, B vitamins, iron, selenium and zinc. Moderate intake can make up for the deficiencies in daily diet. Most offal products have high cholesterol content. It is recommended to eat animal offal foods 2 to 3 times a month, and not too much each time.

These 5 good offal are recommended as a priority

Good Chinese offal needs to satisfy one of the following requirements:

1. Have outstanding nutrition.

2. It has a good taste and no obvious nutritional shortcomings.

Want to know which 5 offal items made the cut? Let’s take a look at this data:

Data source: "Chinese Food Composition Table (Standard Edition)" 6th Edition/Volume 2

Don’t understand? Don’t worry, here’s the conclusion!

1

First place: Pork liver

Standout Features: Hexagonal fighter of nutrition.

️Nutritional advantages: outstanding content of protein, vitamin A (for example, 11g of pork liver can meet an adult's daily vitamin A requirement), vitamin B1, folic acid, and iron.

Nutritional disadvantages: High in vitamin A, excessive consumption may exceed the tolerable amount. It is recommended not to exceed 50g per week (85g is recommended per week for breastfeeding mothers).

Taste: The taste is dense and elastic, and the more you chew, the more fragrant it becomes.

Especially suitable for: infants, pregnant women, breastfeeding mothers, people with anemia and vitamin A deficiency, and those whose staple food is too refined.

2

Second place: Chicken heart

Outstanding features: The advantages outweigh the disadvantages (the nutrition is good overall, but there are also some minor shortcomings).

️Nutritional advantages: Rich in vitamin B1, protein, calcium, iron and vitamin A

Nutritional disadvantages: high in calories and slightly high in fat.

Taste: soft and tender yet tough.

Especially suitable for people: pregnant women, breastfeeding mothers, people with iron deficiency anemia, and those whose staple food is too refined.

3

Third place: Chicken gizzards

Outstanding features: good taste & moderate nutrition.

️Nutritional advantages: high protein, low fat, and rich in easily absorbed iron.

Nutritional Disadvantages: None.

Taste: chewy and bouncy.

Especially suitable for people: pregnant women, breastfeeding mothers, people with iron deficiency anemia, and fitness enthusiasts.

4

Fourth place: Tripe

Outstanding features: moderate nutrition and good taste.

️Nutritional advantages: low calories, high protein, low fat, and the calcium content is relatively rich in internal organs.

Nutritional disadvantages: no obvious bugs.

Taste: smooth, crispy and tender.

Especially suitable for people: hot pot lovers and fitness enthusiasts.

Image source: Pixabay

5

Fifth place: Pig kidney (commonly known as: pig kidney)

Outstanding features: Both strengths and weaknesses are very prominent.

️Nutritional advantages: The selenium content is outstanding. 100g of pork kidney contains 157mg of selenium. A few bites can meet the needs of the whole day. In addition, the content of vitamin B1 is also not small, which is a good partner for refined grains.

Nutritional disadvantages: High cholesterol content, people with high cholesterol should eat less.

Taste: If not handled properly, it will have a strong fishy smell.

Especially suitable for people: pregnant women, breastfeeding mothers, people with iron deficiency anemia, and those whose staple food is too refined.

If this step is not done well, the internal organs will be wasted.

If the viscera are not properly treated to remove the fishy smell, they may have a fishy or even rancid smell, affecting the taste. The fishy smell of viscera mainly comes from the surrounding fat, fascia, blood, etc. Some parts also have some smell because they are digestive glands or excretory organs. Therefore, when cooking, pay attention to removing the fishy smell . Here are 3 steps to remove the fishy smell to add points to the taste of the viscera!

1

cut

Remove the fat and fascia around the internal organs. For example, the white fascia of the kidneys and the yellow membrane of the chicken gizzards need to be torn off, otherwise there will be a fishy smell.

2

Pickle

After removing the fat and fascia from the internal organs, you can pour in cooking wine, add ginger slices, etc., and marinate for about 20 minutes. You can also soak it in cold water for 20 to 30 minutes and add ginger slices, white vinegar or lemon slices to remove the fishy smell.

3

Blanching

Bring the water to a boil and add the aniseed, scallion or ginger slices. Wash the processed internal organs and put them into boiling water to remove the blood and impurities. The time should not be too long, so as not to overcook the internal organs and make them difficult to chew.

You can choose the above steps according to your needs. Whether it is stir-frying or serving cold, each has its own flavor.

Seeing this, I believe you are drooling! These nutritious and delicious ingredients, try to make them now.

Planning and production

Author: Li Chun, a registered nutritionist in China

Review丨Ruan Guangfeng, Deputy Director of Kexin Food and Health Information Exchange Center

Planning丨Zhong Yanping

Editor: Zhong Yanping