Black Angus Meat - Store Specials

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Fresh Ground Vension

Health Benefits

Venison may not be in your dinner plans very often, but it can actually be a great addition to a healthy diet plan.

High in Protein and Iron, Yet Low in Saturated Fat

Venison is a very good source of protein, while, unlike most meats, it tends to be fairly low in fat, especially saturated fat. Four ounces of venison supplies 68.5% of the daily value for protein for only 179 calories and 1.4 grams of saturated fat. Venison is a good source of iron, providing 28.2% of the daily value for iron in that same four-ounce serving. Particularly for menstruating women, who are more at risk for iron deficiency, boosting iron stores is a good idea--especially because, in comparison to beef, a well known source of iron, venison provides well-absorbed iron for less calories and fat. Iron is an integral component of hemoglobin, which transports oxygen from the lungs to all body cells, and is also part of key enzyme systems for energy production and metabolism. And, if you're pregnant or lactating, your needs for iron increase. Growing children and adolescents also have increased needs for iron.

B Vitamins for Better Energy and Cardiovascular Health

Venison is also a very good source of vitamin B12, providing 60.0% of the daily value for this important vitamin, as well as good or very good amounts of several other of the B vitamins, including riboflavin (40.0% of riboflavin's daily value), niacin (38.0% of niacin's DV) and vitamin B6 (21.5% of the DV for B6).

Vitamin B12 and vitamin B6 are both needed to prevent a build up of a potentially dangerous molecule called homocysteine in the body. High levels of homocysteine can cause damage to blood vessels, contribute to the development and progression of atherosclerosis and diabetic heart disease, and greatly increase the risk of heart attack or stroke. Homocysteine is also associated with osteoporosis, and a recent study found that osteoporosis occurred more frequently among women whose vitamin B12 status was deficient or marginal compared with those who had normal B12 status. In addition, vitamin B12 has also been shown to be helpful in protecting colon cells from the effects of carcinogenic toxins, thereby reducing the risk of colon cancer.

The riboflavin in venison may be able to help reduce the occurrence of migraine attacks by improving the energy metabolism of the cells of those who suffer from migraine headaches. Riboflavin (vitamin B2) plays at least two important roles in the body's energy production. When active in energy production pathways, riboflavin takes the form of flavin adenine dinucleotide (FAD) or flavin mononucleotide (FMN). In these forms, riboflavin attaches to protein enzymes called flavoproteins that allow oxygen-based energy production to occur. Flavoproteins are found throughout the body, particularly in locations where oxygen-based energy production is constantly needed, such as the heart and other muscles.

Riboflavin's other role in energy production is protective. The oxygen-containing molecules the body uses to produce energy can be highly reactive and can inadvertently cause damage to the mitochondria and even the cells themselves. In the mitochondria, such damage is largely prevented by a small, protein-like molecule called glutathione. Like many "antioxidant" molecules, glutathione must be constantly recycled, and it is vitamin B2 that allows this recycling to take place. (Technically, vitamin B2 is a cofactor for the enzyme glutathione reductase that reduces the oxidized form of glutathione back to its reduced version.) .

Niacin (vitamin B3), yet another B-vitamin in venison, has been shown to reduce the risk of developing osteoarthritis by as much as half. Like its fellow B-complex vitamins, niacin is important in energy production. Two unique forms of vitamin B3 (called nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide, or NAD, and nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate, or NADP) are essential for conversion of the body's proteins, fats, and carbohydrates into usable energy. Niacin is also used to synthesize starch that can be stored in the body's muscles and liver for eventual use as an energy source.

So the next time you are planning on meat for dinner, try the iron-rich, vitamin-packed alternative to beef. Venison can add variety to your diet as well as good health to your life.