Meat fats in nutrition

Abstract

This article reviews the fat content and fatty acid composition of meats in the human diet and discusses nutritional facts related to meat, meat products and other meat-containing foods as sources of dietary fats. Meat is an increasingly important source of high-value animal protein worldwide. Meat fat comprises mostly monounsaturated and saturated fatty acids, with oleic (C18:1), palmitic (C16:0), and stearic acid (C18:0) being the most ubiquitous. Meat and meat products are considerable sources of cholesterol in the diet. In most industrialized countries, a high meat intake contributes to a higher than recommended total and saturated fat and cholesterol intake. Another concern is that meat may replace sources of other important nutrients in the diet. Therefore, the advice to consumers is to prefer lean meats and low-fat meat products and use meat in moderation only.