The meat is still an interesting food. "It brings quality proteins, iron easily assimilated by the body, zinc, vitamin B12 ...", says Dr. Lecerf, head of the nutrition department at the Institut Pasteur in Lille. Only precaution, and it's a reflex to adopt: recognize that all meats are not equal. For example, in the last landmark study on the harmful effects of meat overconsumption, white meat eaters were less likely to suffer from cardiovascular disease than smaller red meat eaters (25 g / d).

Why ? This is probably related to their fat content . "In particular saturated fatty acids , which are providers of hypercholesterolemia," says Professor Daniel Thomas , cardiologist at La Pitié-Salpêtrière. And that we often call bad fats because, in excess, it is they who help to clog our arteries. It is therefore this factor that must be taken into account: the fat content of the pieces .

Livestock farming is also important in this proportion of saturated fatty acids (AGS). Intensively reared animals are not fed on grass, but on cereals (mostly maize), and can be slaughtered at 14 months of age instead of several years in traditional breeding.

As a result, their flesh is more loaded with AGS than those grown on organic farms or adhering to the "Bleu blanc cœur" association. Their meat is leaner and therefore better for health.

To read on the same subject:

? How to consume meat

? To eat too much meat, what's the damage?