Fat: useful properties and contraindications.

Fat is a unique product, about the benefits and harms of which to this day are disputed. Despite the fact that it is fat, yet it has been proven more than once: it is incredibly useful for our body, contains vitamins and substances that actively participate in metabolic processes. Let's consider how lard affects the female and male body, what its benefits and harms are, what substances the product contains and other interesting information about it.

What is the difference between bacon and lard

Lard is a product from the stock of animal fat. Bacon, on the other hand, is commonly called bacon of foreign origin, which has been smoked or salted. One more fact: only pork fat is called bacon. If a product of any other animal is taken, it is no longer a speck, but an ordinary fat.

Basically, the name "bacon" can be found in various culinary publications, while we rarely use it at home.

So, let's consider what terms exist and what they can mean:

1. Bacon. The word is borrowed from German, has several translations: bacon, fat, lard.
2. Spitz. This is the name given to a product, most often meat, which has been stuffed with pieces of lard.
3. Lard. According to the explanatory dictionary, this is the fatty deposits in the body of any animal.

The difference between bacon and bacon

Bacon is called a loin on the side of a pig, and the product will have small veins of lard in it. It is generally believed that the thinner the veins, the more frequent they are, the more expensive and refined the dish will be.

Interesting fact: There are special kinds of pigs that are raised under special conditions: they are provided with regular physical activity, but alternate them with rest and gluttony. It is due to this approach and can provide the finest veins of fat. Such bacon and is considered an incredibly healthy and delicious product.

Bacon is a constant component of the traditional English breakfast. Thin slices are fried and served with scrambled eggs - such a dish is not only tasty, but also nutritious and healthy.

Lard is a simpler product, which is a piece of blubber, it has no meat veins. Animals that give such a product, to contain much easier, so its cost is cheaper, respectively, and lard and more widespread. Nevertheless, it is impossible not to note the remarkable taste properties of lard. There are many ways to prepare it: bacon can be salted or baked and stored for a long time. Bacon, on the other hand, is more finicky in this respect; it can only be eaten fresh.

Composition and calories

As for the caloric content, it is very high, about 700 kcal per 100 grams. Perhaps such a value seems unacceptable, but in fact a lot of this product is not eaten, in addition, such calories are defined as "long", that is, satiety lasts for a long time. It is recommended to eat lard for people who have no opportunity to eat regularly or who are engaged in hard physical and mental work, because all energy expenditures will be replenished.

The most useful substance for our bodies, which fat contains in large quantities - is arachidonic acid. It is important for the normal function of the brain, kidneys and liver. It ensures normal cholesterol metabolism and is necessary for hormone production, a factor that is especially important for women.

Palmitic, linoleic, and linolenic acids are also found in lard. It is believed that lard is much more useful than butter due to the fact that it contains fat-soluble vitamins A, E, D and carotene. If you want to provide a normal vitality of the body, a good immune system, excellent mental and physical activity, it is worth to include fat in your diet.

This product also contains cholesterol, a substance that many are afraid of. But it is also necessary to maintain the work of the body, because it is a component of muscles and intercellular membranes. If you consume lard in reasonable quantities, then your body will receive a normal amount of cholesterol, which will bring only benefits.

What is pork fat good for the body

Let's consider what exactly are the benefits of lard, why you should not be afraid of eating it for people of different ages and gender.

For women

Promotes the restoration of hormonal balance, has antioxidant properties, which means that with the regular use of lard, you can slow down the aging process in the body. Increases the immune system, dulls the feeling of hunger for a long time, which will help people who are losing weight. Activates the metabolic processes. Reduces the level of "harmful" cholesterol, has anti-cancer properties.

For men

Lard contains selenium, and it is essential for excellent male health, because it promotes the synthesis of sex hormones, so it provides good potency, as well as improves the quality of the seminal fluid. Also prevents lard and the emergence of cardiovascular disease, liver disease - it is men such ailments are most often subjected to.

When pregnant

Thanks to vitamin A it is possible to protect the body of a pregnant woman from infections, to ensure a good immunity. The product is also rich in vitamin D - it is necessary for good bone development, and for the child it is especially important due to the fact that it prevents the development of rickets. It is also recommended to eat the product because it promotes better absorption of phosphorus, as well as calcium. Specialists recommend lard in early pregnancy, as well as during lactation.

When breastfeeding.

Lard is a caloric product that contributes to a better secretion of milk, saturates it with useful substances. Vitamins D, A, E increase the immunity of the mother and baby.

For children.

In small quantities, the product will also be useful for children due to the fact that it contains unsaturated fatty acids, provides the baby with energy, improves brain activity. It is easily assimilated by the immature organism, does not contain harmful impurities, stimulates brain activity. But you may give your child lard only after consulting with a specialist.

Which is more useful: salted or boiled lard

During cooking the product loses some of its useful properties, so it is believed that the greater benefit has salted lard. Again, do not be fond of salted product, if a person suffers from edema or is hypertensive: a large amount of salt can aggravate the situation.

Is smoked and fried lard useful?

Compared with salted, smoked lard contains fewer useful substances. Especially important is the fact that the industry uses a variety of harmful chemicals for smoking, such as liquid smoke. Such a product in general can not be called useful, rather, it will be harmful to health.

In general, it should be understood that any processing contributes to the fact that the product will lose its useful properties. As you know, it is not recommended to eat fried food at all, but as for frying dishes in lard - cured lard - this product will be more nutritious and safer for health. Lard is popular with many people, and it is possible to eat it in small amounts, but, again, this product will be less useful than unprocessed lard.

Is it possible to eat lard when losing weight?

Surprisingly, but the fact is that many nutritionists recommend lard to people who seek to get rid of excess weight. Due to the fact that this product is very slowly broken down, you can maintain a feeling of fullness throughout the day. In this case, bacon contains a large number of useful substances that are vital for the normal functioning of the body.

Surprisingly, there are even special diets that involve the consumption of bacon. For example, a Polish nutritionist has developed a special diet, which involves the daily consumption of eggs, lard, and cream in unlimited quantities. Already after 3-4 days you can lose about 2 kg of extra weight, but the specialist warns that such a diet is prohibited if a person has problems with the work of the pancreas.

Lard in medicine

In folk medicine, you can find a huge number of recipes that involve the use of fat both internally and externally. Let's consider in which cases you can use this product and whether it will do any harm.

Diabetes mellitus

In this disease, lipid metabolism is disturbed, which means that the risk of such a disease as atherosclerosis increases. In small quantities you can consume lard in boiled form, but you will have to give up on salty delicacies.

If you have pancreatitis

If the disease occurs in an acute form, then lard is prohibited. If the form is sluggish, then in small quantities this product can be eaten occasionally: it will saturate the body with useful vitamins and minerals.

Gastritis

If gastritis is in its acute form, the patient must follow a diet that excludes the consumption of lard. With increased acidity, you can eat the product, but without adding spices: they provoke the release of gastric juice. With gastritis with reduced acidity, lard is possible: pork, lamb, beef, but in limited quantities.

With constipation

If a person suffers from constipation, experts recommend for a while to refuse to use lard, because it contains unsaturated fats, and with this pathology it is necessary to use saturated fats.

In case of gout

If you are overcome by this unpleasant disease, lard is an excellent way to cope with pain - you can make compresses or rub the product in places where unpleasant feelings are tormented.

In colitis

The disease requires mandatory observation of a specialist, as well as compliance with a strict diet, which prohibits the use of lard.

When hemorrhoids.

There are many effective, proven recipes for hemorrhoids, the main ingredient in which is lard. You can make suppositories from melted lard for fissures, with painfulness, with the addition of medicinal herbs. Reviews about this method of treatment are positive, but before starting the course, it is necessary to consult with a doctor.

In cholecystitis.

Doctors forbid the use of lard in this disease. In addition, the use of the product in the disease of a sluggish form can provoke its exacerbation.

As we can see, despite the benefits of lard, it is prohibited to eat it in some diseases. If you have chronic stomach or pancreatic diseases, you should definitely consult your doctor before tasting this tasty, nutritious product.

Lard in cosmetology

Lard contains many useful substances - we have already mentioned above. There are many proven, effective recipes based on lard, thanks to which your hair and skin will shine again. Consider the most interesting options.

Mask for dry, aging skin

Melt lard in a water bath. Grind any fruit with a blender, add to the lard. Let cool and apply it with light strokes on previously cleaned skin. After 20 minutes wash off with warm water and soap. After two treatments you will notice that small wrinkles are smoothed and the skin is firmer.

Rejuvenating mask

Warm the aloe juice, rose water, flower honey and lard in a water bath. Mix thoroughly, wait until the mixture cools. You can apply it to your face, decollete area, and hands. Wait till the mixture is absorbed into the skin-about 15 minutes and then remove the rest with a cotton pad. Do not wash your face. Make this mask at night, and in the morning your skin will be silky and velvety.

Whitening mask

Carefully crush the cabbage leaf, squeeze the juice and mix with preheated lard. Apply by rubbing it lightly on problematic areas of the skin, after 15 minutes remove the excess with a cotton pad.

Mask for problem skin

Pour parsley decoction into the heated lard, decoction of chamomile or sage can also be added there. If you do the mask regularly, you can get rid of pimples and redness, without overdrying the skin.

Lard for hair

If your hair has become dull, began to split, you can help them by applying a mask based on lard. Simply melt the product in a water bath and rub it into the hair roots. After that, wrap your head with plastic wrap and cover it with a towel. Wait 2 hours and rinse. The effect will be brighter if you warm hair with a hair dryer. Washing lard is difficult: have enough shampoo and patience. Nevertheless, people who have tried this recipe, claim that the hair begins to grow faster, became shiny and silky.

If your hair is dry, lard will come in handy. Lard should be melted, mixed with pumpkin juice and ginger, add a few drops of castor oil. Make a mask for hair in exactly the same way that was mentioned above.

Health Hazards and Contraindications

Despite all the beneficial substances contained in lard, this product is not possible for everyone. Immediately it is worth stating that it can be consumed without harm to health in the absence of chronic diseases of the liver, stomach and biliary tract. Everything is useful in moderation, the maximum amount of fat that will do no harm is 30 grams per day.

If you do not want to harm yourself, it is best to consume lard in salted form. Again, there is an exception: people with diabetes, ulcers and gastritis from the treat will have to give up because the product is usually salted with spices, and this can provoke a worsening of the disease.

If the fat has veins of meat, then eat the product with caution, there is a great risk of contracting helminths.

Lard is contraindicated in the presence of such pathologies:

1. In disorders of cholesterol metabolism, atherosclerosis, diabetes.
2. With gastrointestinal diseases: ulcers, gastritis, cholecystitis, pancreatitis, colitis, etc.
3. When obesity. Despite the fact that lard can be on the diet, people with obesity are prohibited. This point is due to the fact that it is difficult to control the appetite, it is not possible to fit into the daily norm, and lard has a high caloric value.
4. In diseases of the gallbladder. Lard has one peculiarity: it has a choleretic effect, and in the presence of gallbladder disease, the systematic use of this product can lead to a number of complications.

You should not eat more than 30 grams of fat per day - you risk getting fat because the product is high in calories. Doctors recommend not indulging even in healthy unsaturated fats.

The best option: consult a general practitioner before adding lard to your diet. He will tell you whether it is possible to eat the delicacy in your situation - in the presence of sluggish ailments. Do not forget to ask for a certificate of quality in the market: this way you will protect yourself from helminths, you will be sure that in front of you is a useful, harmless product.

How to choose bacon for pickling

If you want to get a really high quality salted bacon, you will have to take all the responsibility for its choice. So, let's consider the main criteria that you need to pay attention to, if you decide to buy lard from hand and then salt it.

1. Color. A quality product has a white color with a slight pinkness. If you note yellowing, it is better to avoid the counter: this means that the lard is no longer fresh, which means that after salting it will have an unpleasant, specific smell. There are veins vertically red - the processing of the carcass was performed incorrectly, this factor also affects the final result.
2. Smell. Despite the fact that many people can not stand the spirit of fresh fat, you need to smell it: the product should have a pleasant dairy aroma without any impurities.
3. The view. It is ideal if you can find a piece, the thickness of which will not exceed 5 cm. This thickness is the best option for salting: it will be well salted, there will be no unsalted pieces. For example, a thick piece will have to be salted for a very long time, and not the fact that it will taste good inside. The skin should be easy to separate from the flesh, and the surface should not be overdried. The color of the skin does not matter. If you want, you can choose lard with a meat layer - such a product will be even more valuable.

How to store salted fat properly

You have bought lard and have already brought it home, but you do not have time to salt it? Remember: if you want to get a flawless final product, the maximum time allowed for storing lard in the refrigerator is 24 hours.

If the bacon has already been salted, put it in a plastic sudok and leave it in the fridge. You can send the product to a dry freeze, if further use is not planned in the near future or you have salted too much delicacy.

How to salt bacon at home

Many housewives do not know how to salt the product so that the lard turned out tender, literally melting in the mouth. There are a total of two ways:

1. Easy - you use only salt or decoction based on salt.
2. Complicated - all sorts of spices and sugar are added to give a special flavor note to the lard.

Salting is also divided by type:

• dry - if you plan to store for a long time;
• wet - best for backyard;
• combined - suitable for brisket or loin.

To keep the structure of the product dense, not loose, experienced housewives recommend salting lard frozen.

Let's consider a few proven recipes:

1. Brine. Cut the lard into pieces (size - approximately the size of a fist). Prepare the solution: boil water, adding salt. Determining the right amount of salt is simple: dip the egg into the brine. If it floats up, the salt is enough. In the same place you need to add allspice, bay, garlic - all these spices will only improve the taste of the preparation.
2. With the addition of onion husks. Sprinkle pieces of lard with salt, put under a burden for 24 hours. Then pour water - it should cover the fat by 1 cm, add there dark onion husks, bay leaf, allspice. Cook all this for about 60 minutes, then take out the fat and wait until it cools down. Rub with red and black ground pepper and garlic. Wrap it in foil and put it in the fridge. After a day, the lard is ready to eat - you will be pleasantly surprised by the unusual appearance, as well as the taste of the lard.
3. Hot method. If you want the bacon to come out spicy, spicy, this method is perfect. For one liter of water, take 400 grams of salt, add a few leaves of bay leaves. Cut the lard into pieces, place it in the resulting mixture for 12 hours. After the specified time, put the pot with the contents on the fire and boil for 10 minutes. Wait until the lard cools in the brine, take it out. Now you need to rub it with hot black and red pepper, you can add dried garlic to taste. The lard turns out incredibly delicious: tender and fragrant.
4. Ukrainian recipe. Cut the lard into pieces, make cuts in it, in which to put the pre-cut in half (lengthwise) garlic. Then rub the product with salt, hot pepper and crushed coriander. Put the bacon into a plastic case and put it in the fridge for 3-5 days. This is an easy way to get delicious and healthy salted lard.

As you can see, there are many ways of salting - you can easily choose the variant that you like. If you choose the right lard, it is simply impossible to spoil it when salting.

What to eat lard with

This delicious nutritious product will go perfectly with bread, mustard and horseradish. In addition, nutritionists recommend combining lard with spicy spices: this way the fatty food will be easier to digest. You can also eat lard with onions, ideally, if the hostess serves borsch and black bread.

Potatoes are another product that goes perfectly with lard. It should be boiled: peeled or in munchers.

Lard is an excellent snack for vodka, you can add garlic, pickles and tomatoes.

And even nutritionists say that garlic in combination with bacon is an excellent way to get rid of "harmful" cholesterol!

Can we give lard to dogs?

Dogs can not be given lard, despite the fact that the animal will surely like this product. There is a high probability that the dog will catch such diseases:

1. Helminthiasis (or simply worms). They are not dangerous on their own, but the larvae can eventually begin to move throughout the body, affecting vital organs.
2. Latent rabies. For humans, this disease is quite harmless (besides, hardly anyone is a fan of fresh fat), but for a dog it is fatal. The animal begins to lose weight, eventually affects the central nervous system, which leads to death.
3. Cepes. This disease is rare, but it still exists and is fatal.

Dogs should not be given salted lard either, because it is forbidden for animals to eat salted food. Take care of your animals.

Interesting facts about lard

Let us have a look at the interesting facts about this product.

1. Ukrainians are not the only admirers of lard. It is consumed in all EU countries, the difference may be in the method of cooking, as well as the very type of lard: some like the boiled version, but the British cook breakfast bacon (lard with a layer) for breakfast.
2. Chocolate-covered lard is not a myth! Such candies do exist! Of course, they will not suit everyone's taste, but many claim that such a snack has an exotic and very pleasant taste.
3. The taste of the product directly depends on what the pig was fed. The most delicious salts from domestic pigs that eat natural food, even if it will be leftovers from the table of the owners.
4. The size is important for salting! The optimal variant is a thickness of 4 cm, all the rest can be used for other dishes, but for salting, slice the fat so that its thickness is not less than 2.5 and no more than 5 cm.
5. A soccer ball out of lard: realistic? The answer is yes! Such an exhibit was created in Lutsk, its volume was more than 6 m. It was sewn using heavy-duty yarns, more than 600 kg of product was used.
6. The tastiest lard from Italy! There is a special kind of product, which is made in the village. They use a special recipe for this: the product is aged in marble tubs, which are located in caves, under the pressure lard lies more than 6 months. It has an unusual taste and quite high cost, because it is equated almost to the delicacies.
7. Homeland bacon is not Ukraine, but Italy, even 3000 years ago slaves were fed bacon to increase endurance. A little later, and the poor people began to eat the product, but they have already begun to think of various recipes and methods of cooking to improve the taste of fat. Over time, it appeared on the tables of the rich, but they used the product with the addition of rosemary and a variety of spices, even pineapple.
8. Skiers used lard to make their skis glide well. But pastes and other coatings designed for this purpose came much later.
9. Not everyone can enjoy lard. For example, Muslims and Jews should never consume this product, based on the laws of faith.
10. It is undesirable to eat fat in a fried form: a large number of carcinogens. Raw bacon is also not good: there is a high probability of worms infection.
11. Lard contains cholesterol. But in much smaller quantities than butter, so it is safe to say that it is better to eat a piece of lard than to add copious amounts of supposedly healthy butter to porridge. Do not eat on an empty stomach: there is a high risk of exacerbation of gastrointestinal diseases.

As we can see, we can talk for hours about this amazing product: bacon is really not only tasty, but also useful. But do not forget: in everything you need to know a measure, so as not to harm your body.

Photo of lard