Goat meat offers a variety of nutritional properties that can be part of a healthy diet.
Low in fat and saturated fat
While fat might not be a problem, eating too much can result in consuming more total energy than needed. Because goat meat is lean, it’s a great source of protein with fewer calories. This may benefit people looking to lose weight (8Trusted Source).
Goat meat has about 1 gram of saturated fat per 3 ounces (85g), which is lower than some other meats. Lean beef is also low in saturated fat, with about 2 grams in an equal serving size, but some cuts of red meat have more (6Trusted Source, 9Trusted Source).
Eating saturated fat is linked with an increase in “bad” cholesterol, or low-density lipoprotein (LDL), in the blood (10Trusted Source).
High levels of LDL may lead to the build-up of fatty deposits in the blood vessels that can continue to grow and potentially break off, blocking the flow of blood and causing a heart attack or stroke (11Trusted Source).
Newer research is challenging claims that saturated fat contributes to heart disease risk. However, the American Heart Association still recommends limiting saturated fat intake (12Trusted Source, 13Trusted Source).
High in iron
When it comes to iron, choosing goat meat means getting more for less. Goat meat contains approximately 3.2 mg of iron per 3 ounces (85 grams). This is almost double the amount of iron found in lean beef (1.8 mg), and chicken breast (0.42 mg) (6Trusted Source, 9Trusted Source, 14Trusted Source).
Iron is an important mineral consumed in the food we eat. Without enough iron, the body cannot make hemoglobin, a protein found in red blood cells that carries oxygen around the body (15Trusted Source).
Additionally, iron is essential for many processes, such as (15Trusted Source):
body temperature regulation
immune support
energy production
Vitamin B12
Goat meat is a great source of vitamin B12. Vitamin B12 (also known as cobalamin) is an essential nutrient that plays many roles in the body, including (16Trusted Source):
production of energy in cells
DNA synthesis
nerve cell function
red blood cell formation
Potassium
Goat meat is high in potassium, containing about 344 mg per 3 ounce (85 grams) or 10% of the DV. To put things into perspective, one medium banana (115 grams) has about 375 mg potassium (6Trusted Source, 17Trusted Source).
Potassium is a nutrient and electrolyte that helps regulate blood pressure and maintain cell functions, particularly the nerve and muscle cells (18Trusted Source).
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