For many meat lovers, a meal doesn’t seem complete without meat; but the good news is that nutritionists say pork can be added to one’s diet, as it offers some health benefits. According to WebMD, though you may have heard it called "the other white meat,” pork is considered red meat. As a red meat, pork has a reputation for being unhealthy. However, it is a good source of certain nutrients, as well as high-quality protein. Consumed in moderation, it can make a good addition to a healthy diet.

Pork, or ‘inyama y’ingurube’ in Kinyarwanda, is the meat of pig and a major processed product from the country.

Pork can still be part of a balanced, healthy diet as it’s full of important vitamins and minerals that the body needs, and it supports the growth and maintenance of muscles.

The main delicacies of pork range from ham, which means smoked or seasoned thighs, to bacon, which is a type of salt-cured pork made from various cuts, typically the belly or less fatty parts of the back. There is also sausage, which is filled with ground pork.

The good thing about pork is that one can fry it up in a chop, roast, or boil. Most restaurants in Rwanda serve the pork with banana roasts and fried potatoes, popularly referred to as ‘akabenzi’. They capitalise more on steak and less on fat.

Health benefits

The Australian Dietary Guidelines recommend that one eats one to three servings of lean meat or other healthy protein sources every day.

Nutritionist Dieudonné Bukaba says pork is an excellent source of protein, niacin, vitamins B6 and B12, and iron, as well as zinc and omega-3s. The leanest pork cuts tend to come from the loin, fillet, and leg, particularly when trimmed of excess fat.

He says pork is also a great source of vitamins and minerals like phosphorus, selenium, and thiamine, which help the body, generate energy from nutrients.

Private Kamanzi, a dietician and nutritionist at Amazon Nutrition Cabinet in Kigali that deals with diet, physical wellness, and lifestyle, says all meat consists of protein and so is pork.

He says pork is an elevated source of high-quality protein which is an essential food nutrient for our bodies. High concentrations of amino acids are found within pork as well.

Amino acids are the product of digesting pork proteins, and essential amino acids are the building blocks of life.

Kamanzi explains that it’s important to understand that when our bodies ingest and break down protein into individual amino, our body will reorder them, refold them and turn them into whatever is needed at the time.

He says pork contains all nine essential amino acids critically necessary for the body’s growth, muscles, and maintenance.

Kamanzi notes that studies indicate that not only is pork good for normal everyday nutrition, but it’s also the perfect type of meat for bodybuilders, recovering athletes, people post-surgery, and others that need to repair or build muscles.

He, however, cites that some people might be concerned about their fat intake depending on their health conditions, or what they want to achieve. He recommends that one can still trim off the excess fats in order to maintain dietary needs. Depending on your health as well as how much-saturated fats you consume on a weekly basis, studies show that the saturated fats in pork shouldn’t contribute to higher cholesterol or health issues.

Eaten as part of a balanced, healthy diet, pork can also help to support muscle growth and development.

The high-quality proteins found in lean pork contain amino acids which act as building blocks for replenishing muscle tissue.