Is it good to eat horse meat?

Horse meat is not well known in European or Spanish culinary culture, and there is a lot of contradictory information about it. We wanted to dot the i’s and clarify once and for all whether horse meat is healthy and safe for human consumption.

The most important thing is always to be informed, so if we have high cholesterol, heart disease, diabetes, high blood pressure or something similar, before consuming a new product, it is best to seek advice from a specialist who knows our case.

Is it safe?

Horse meat has many benefits for the body, since it is lower in fat and has more positive nutritional values, the problem is that it is not very suitable for human consumption, and we are going to explain why.

This meat is rich in iron and zinc, two very important minerals for humans and technically it does not represent any problem to be consumed by humans of any age. The thing is that not all horse meat is valid. It is an animal not “designed” for human consumption, so throughout its upbringing it can ingest substances or are administered substances and medicines that can cause problems in our health.

It is assumed that, if the horse meat we have bought in a butcher shop or supermarket, it will be suitable for human consumption, but the origin, the controls and others would have to be verified. A horse, throughout its life, can be exposed to these chemical substances: Isoxsuprine, Zilpaterol, Ractopmaine, Triamcinolone Acetonide or Dexamethasone. This translates into circulation problems, intestinal problems, abortions, intoxication, encephalitis, muscle pain, etc.

If we eat horse meat, some point out that we could suffer from tachycardia, sweating, tremors, high blood pressure, etc. They are signs that our body is reacting negatively to this food.

Profits

This meat is darker in color than veal and has a sweetish taste, even so, it is easy to camouflage it. It has some benefits, as long as its consumption is occasional, as it should be with any type of meat, and it comes from a controlled place.

Rich in protein

Proteins are the enzymes most desired by athletes, but we should not be obsessed either, since we could suffer from high blood urea. Horse meat is rich in proteins of high biological value , that is, they are proteins that the body uses without effort. Proteins vary according to the age of the animal and the care it has had in life, so we will always try to choose young meat (between 3 and 5 years) and that has lived in freedom and with good nutrition.

Although we are not athletes, an average adult needs about 70 grams of protein, and we have seen that this meat is very rich in protein, providing us with approximately 28 grams of this enzyme for every 100 grams of meat. Thus, it could be a good option to complement our diet on training days, for example.

Source of vitamins and minerals

It is a meat rich in important vitamins such as B12, vitamin A and C , as well as essential minerals such as phosphorus, iron and zinc. Iron helps the body create hemoglobin (transports oxygen), zinc is essential for our immune system and for healthy skin, and, finally, phosphorus helps teeth, bones and brain to be in top shape .

We cannot, or should not, base our diet on meat, be it horse, chicken, turkey, poultry, pork or whatever, but our diet must be rich and varied, that begins by reducing the consumption of meat and increase vegetables, so if our intention is to get those nutrients from meat, we can end up with overweight, diabetes, cholesterol problems, etc.

low fat meat

It is a very low-fat meat that is almost comparable to turkey , chicken and poultry. That means it could be included in healthy diets and weight loss diets. What you do have to be careful about is the quantities, since fillets of more than 200 grams are not recommended for an average adult with a healthy diet and regular exercise. It is also suitable for people with high cholesterol or overweight, but in smaller amounts.

What we read in the previous paragraph should not be taken literally, since health is at stake, and it will be a medical professional who, depending on our case, will indicate the appropriate diet. If this meat is not suitable for us or our body does not tolerate it, we can suffer adverse effects as we have seen, and if we already have a basic health problem such as heart problems, we could suffer severe consequences.

how to cook

There is no mystery, this meat is cooked in the same way that chicken, veal, turkey, pork, beef, etc. can be cooked. We can grill it back and forth, bread it, bake it, combine it with sauces, vegetables, even make hamburgers and stuffed balls.

Horse meat has no shape and is very soft because it hardly has any fat, in addition, its texture is similar to that of beef, but without much cholesterol. It is also considered red meat, although there is some debate with that, since 100 grams only provide about 120 kilocalories . In addition, it has a mild flavor and a sweet touch, so it goes very well with vegetables and sauces with a mild spicy touch.

It is a dark meat (intense red), so you have to be careful and be very careful when cooking it and don’t overdo it, as it will get hard and rancid. The curious thing about this meat is that it creates foam when it is cooked and when it comes into contact with the heat source it can greatly reduce its size, until it remains half or less.

Tips to consider

Horse meat is a great unknown in European culinary culture, but in other countries they have been eating it for years. We already know everything about it, only some notes and tips are missing so as not to make mistakes, nor get intoxicated by eating meat of bad origin.

• Have a seal of quality.
• Eat no more than 200 grams in a day, and no more than 400 grams a week.
• Cook it over low heat.
• Do not overcook it.
• Keep in mind that it loses size when heated due to loss of hydration.
• Eat it normally, but start with half a fillet of about 40 or 50 grams to see how our body responds.
• Do not give to children under 10 years.
• If we feel any strange symptoms after eating it, try to notify a doctor and show the meat packaging.
• Do not eat it expired or of unknown origin.
• Dry texture.
• Pairs well with fresh vegetables.
• The fat is yellowish in color.
• If we have high cholesterol, heart problems, diabetes, or any health problem, regulate its consumption as much as possible or consult a specialist.