What are the Health Benefits Of Burger

Health Benefits Of Burger

Burgers have a terrible reputation. High in fat and calories, they may be the first food scratched off your menu when you decide to eat healthily. Before you rule out burgers for good, take a look at some of the health benefits they can deliver. If eaten only on occasion, burgers, especially those made with lean ground beef, can boost your health rather than impair it. Though people say it’s bad for health, there is a scientific reason to love and eat the burger as there are many health benefits of the burger.

CLA

Beef is high in a fatty acid called conjugated linoleic acid or CLA. In 1978, scientists at the Food Research Institute at the University of Wisconsin found that grilled burger extract contained compounds that fought cancer growth. That compound turned out to be CLA. Today, CLA is known for more benefits, including the ability to fight inflammatory diseases, such as arthritis, and to promote weight loss and prevent weight gain. To get the most out of your burger, choose beef from grass-fed or free-range animals, as opposed to grain-fed animals. The March 2010 issue of “Nutrition Journal” reports health benefits of the burger is that grass-fed beef has a higher CLA content, but lower overall fat content.

Protein

Building protein is another health benefits of a burger. Every cell in your body contains protein, which makes it vital for good health. It is continuously broken down and replaced and therefore needs to be continually taken in through diet. According to the USDA National Nutrient Database, a 3-ounce burger made with 90 percent lean ground beef contains 21.4 grams of protein or roughly 43 percent of the recommended daily intake of 50 grams.

Vitamins

Burgers contain several vitamins, most of which belong to the B family. The B vitamins are needed to turn food into energy and for the development of red blood cells. The most abundant B vitamin in burgers is vitamin B-12, with 2.5 micrograms, which is 100 percent of the recommended daily intake for adults. Though all B vitamins are essential for good health, a deficiency of B-12 can cause serious side effects such as anemia, numbness, weakness and central nervous system problems such as foggy thinking and loss of balance. Other B vitamins in burgers include B-6, niacin, riboflavin, pantothenic acid, thiamin, and folate. Burgers also contain trace amounts of vitamins E and K.

Burgers are not inherently bad. They contain the macronutrients that should be present in every meal: carbohydrates, proteins, and fats. High rich in vitamins is another health benefit of a burger.

Unfortunately, bread contains a lot of simple carbohydrates. The body breaks these down easily into sugars. In excess, the body converts the sugars into fat for long term storage.

The body functions best when the ratios of macronutrients are balanced based on one’s lifestyle (active vs. sedentary). Because there are so many different lifestyles, and because burgers can be prepared using so many methods/toppings, the ratios between macronutrients are often skewed, so it’s sometimes difficult to tell just how nutritious a particular burger might be.

As a rule of thumb, always eat slowly and stop when you feel full. After all, the point of eating a delicious burger is to enjoy it… not to feel miserable afterward! Feeling satiated is your body signaling that it has received an adequate amount of nutrients. The body will store less fat, and you are unlikely to gain weight.