Women need to eat more meat

A British survey highlights the problem of women eating too little meat.

Many young women are at risk of anemia because they do not get enough iron in their diet. And the British Food Standards Agency has highlighted this problem pointing out red meat (beef, pork and lamb) is a great source of iron.

The FSA's National Diet and Nutrition Survey showed low iron stores in young women in two out of five 15 to 18-year-olds and one in three 19 to 24-year-olds. The survey also showed only nine per cent knew that red meat was an excellent source of dietary iron.

David Croston, CEO of the English Beef and Lamb Executive said: “Beef and lamb are the perfect solution for anyone who needs to push up their iron levels as well as being the center of an extremely tasty meal.” British Pig Executive chief executive Mick Sloyan added: “Not only is pork rich in iron, it is also a low fat option, which makes it the ideal healthy choice.”

The survey showed 68 per cent of young women questioned had suffered symptoms commonly associated with low iron such as tiredness, lethargy, looking pale or suffering from shortness of breathl. FSA nutritionist Sam Church also pointed out red meat was rich in iron that is easily absorbed and the darker the meat the more iron it contains.

Article: MeatNews.com May 2004