When it comes to organ meat like cow tongue, some people prefer to avoid it in all cost. First, most of them don’t like the idea of having cow tongue in their dinner table. Second, as it contains the high of cholesterol level. However, surprisingly aside from the cholesterol content, there are a lot of benefits of cow tongue. One more thing you probably don’t know from organ meat like cow tongue is it is cheaper than muscle meat yet containing much more nutrients that some are not even available in muscle meat. Unfortunately, today’s people are rarely consuming organ meat anymore but through this article you will find that consuming organ meat is actually bringing you a lot of health benefits.
Nutrients Value of Cow Tongue
| Amount per serving: 100 gr | Daily Value % | |
| Calories | 224 | |
| Total Fats | 16 gr | 24 % |
| Saturated Fats | 7 gr | 35 % |
| Polyunsaturated fats | 0.9 gr | |
| Monounsaturated fats | 7 gr | |
| Cholesterol | 87 mg | 29 % |
| Sodium | 69 mg | 2 % |
| Potassium | 315 mg | 9 % |
| Protein | 15 gr | 30 % |
| Vitamins | ||
| Vitamin C | 5 % | |
| Vitamin B-6 | 15 % | |
| Vitamin B-12 | 63 % | |
| Iron | 16 % | |
| Magnesium | 14 % |
It is not a surprise if cow tongue is actually having a lot of health benefits than its drawbacks. As cow tongue compared to other meat organs is more muscles than organ, but still finding out more about the benefits will ensure you to consume cow tongue without the need to worry about the drawbacks. As a result, here is the health benefits of cow tongue.
1. Immunity System Booster
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2. Fighting Anemia
Cow tongue is rich of iron and vitamin B-12. Those two compounds has significant role in producing hemoglobin. Hemoglobin is one of the types of protein that has important function to bind oxygen and distribute it to the whole parts of the body. It is a common knowledge that a deficiency of iron and vitamin B-12 could cause problem like anemia.
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3. Prevent Fatigue
Surely you know that fatigue will occur to anyone who are suffering iron deficiency. It is because brain is not getting enough oxygen due to some disturbances to the distribution of red blood cells. Well, iron has important role in making sure red blood cells are available to distribute the hemoglobin and vitamin B-12 will make sure the production of hemoglobin is available to bind oxygen so the supply will be available whenever body cells need it.
4. Natural Energy Booster
What you need to boost your energy? When you feel tired or lack of energy even in the morning it means your body metabolism is working in slow face. To make sure your body metabolism is working in normal pace, you should make sure all components are available like iron to produce red blood cells and cholin along with vitamin B-12 to produce hemoglobin so oxygen could be distributed. Oxygen is key factor to healthy body metabolism.
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5. Accelerate Wound Healing
Most people think that to accelerate the wound healing they should apply some medical products to the wound. Actually, those medical products are used to prevent further infection caused by bacteria or viruses from outside while the healing process are coming from inside the body. Consuming zinc is one of the ways to accelerate wound healing and cow tongue contains high amount of zinc.
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6. Good for Cells’ Regeneration
There are two main components required for cells regeneration. First is oxygen and second is red blood cells. As rich in zinc and iron surely cow tongue is what you need to make sure the availability of red blood cells and vitamin B-12 will make sure the optimum function of hemoglobin in the blood to distribute oxygen to each cells throughout the body. Oxygen is essential for cells regeneration.
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7. Maintaining the Health of Nervous System
Do you know that consuming cow tongue is able to fulfill daily intake of choline and vitamin B-12. What is the function of choline in your body? Choline is the reasons behind your nerve systems are functioning well and vitamin B-12 will make sure the availability of myelin, a compound that used to insulate the nerve system. Together, they will make sure the nerve communication is functioning optimally.
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8. Promote Tissue Strength
To promote tissue strength your body needs enough amount of protein. Well, cow tongue is actually containing relatively high amount of complete protein. Cells need protein to make sure the tissue strength. Simple example is in bodybuilding, to build a muscle mass you need strong tissue so muscle could be built.
9. Balancing Hormone
Consuming cow tongue also able to balance the hormones that function as antibodies that has significant role in immunity system. It is due to the complete protein contained in cow tongue. Furthermore, as animal-based protein, cow tongue is also able to provide your body essential amino acids. Just consuming 3 ounces of cow tongue you could make sure the daily intake of proteins for human body.
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10. Excellent Source of Animal-based Protein
As rich in complete protein surely cow tongue is an excellent source of animal-based protein. If you are not familiar with the function of protein, protein is having prominent role in making sure your body’s cells are able to maintain the tissue strength while at the same time maintaining immunity system and essential source of amino acids.
11. Essential Source of Amino Acid
As mentioned in the previous point, cow tongue is natural source of amino acids. Body needs amino acids to make sure healthy metabolism and build protein. You may not know that there are a lot of types of protein and its type as its own function and amino acid will assist in determine the function of protein that required by body metabolism.
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12. Reduce the Risk of High Blood Pressure
Believe it or not, consuming cow tongue is actually able to reduce the risk of high blood pressure. If blood pressure is under controlled means all kinds of cardiovascular diseases could be prevented. It is due to potassium contained in cow tongue that is able to eliminate the excess of sodium. Though surely, cow tongue is also containing adequate amount of sodium. That’s why, it is closely related to how much cow tongue you should consume because when it is consumed to much the effect is much worse.
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13. Good for Bodybuilding
Protein is the reasons behind successful bodybuilding program. Once fats are used to produce energy, protein is required to build a muscle mass. Protein is also essential to make sure the tissue strength so the energy you have burnt during the workout will start to show you the amazing result in the form of healthy and strong muscle. That’s why many bodybuilding supplements are high in protein and cow tongue is one of the food which is rich in complete protein.
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14. Diabetes Friendly
People don’t know that cow tongue is actually diabetes friend. Why? It is because cow tongue is containing zero carbohydrate. It is a common knowledge that carbohydrate is the main source of glucose and glucose is the reason behind problems like high blood sugar level. Though, the amount is supposed to be your main concern because cow tongue could increase cholesterol level if you are not careful in consuming it.
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15. Excellent Source of Fatty Acid
Fatty acid is actually one of the types of healthy fats that required by human body. Fatty acid like Omega 3 and omega 6 mostly found in fish but surprisingly high in cow tongue. Fatty acid founds in cow tongue is similar to fatty acid founds in olive oil and nuts. One of the functions of fatty acid is to lower the cholesterol level and at the same time could reduce the risk of protein poisoning. The type of fatty acid found in cow tongue is called saturated fatty acid. Though surely, cow tongue is also containing the unsaturated fat but if you consuming in proper amount you could avoid the problems caused by the unsaturated fats.
16. Prevent Protein Poisoning
Protein poisoning for some of you may be sounds ridiculous but it is not something you should take for granted. It is not until the recent studies that pointed out, cow tongue is actually rich of specific type of fatty acid which is similar to those found in nuts and olive oil called saturated fatty acid. One of the main function is to make sure your body will be protected from protein poisoning.
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17. Promote Red Blood Cells Production
What do you need to make sure the production of red blood cells is under control? The answer is as simple as iron. It has been mentioned several times in the previous points that cow tongue is relatively high in iron. Furthermore, together with choline and vitamin B-12, consuming cow tongue is not only producing the red blood cells but also making sure the red blood cells are doing their job optimally.
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18. Contained Zero Carbohydrate
Why zero carbohydrate is considered to be one of the health benefits of cow tongue? Do you know that carbohydrate is the main problem of diabetes, whether it is diabetes type 1 and diabetes type 2? That’s why cow tongue is considered to be food that is friendly enough for people with diabetes though surely the dosage to consume cow tongue is not more than the size that has been recommended. Furthermore, for those who are currently conducting diet carbo, they don’t need to worry about the carbohydrate level they consume since cow tongue is containing zero carbohydrate.
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19. Good for Body Development and Growth
Well, for kids and teenagers consuming foods that has significant role in developing their body is an obligations. As parents, perhaps putting cow tongue as part of their weekly menu is highly recommended because the high amount of iron is good for children’s development especially their cognitive development. Studies have proven that iron deficiency suffered by children and teenager will lead to the delayed of their social development. Furthermore, zinc contained in cow tongue will promote the cells divisions to grow and development in normal pace.
20. Optimize the Absorption of Certain Vitamins
Do you know that the lack of iron is able to disturb the absorption of certain vitamins? It is true that no matter how foods you consume that is so rich of vitamins but if those vitamins are not optimally absorbed, they are just going to be a waste in your body. Some excess vitamins in your body may caused some problems in your bowel system but iron will reduce the possibility of those things would never happen and as mentioned above, cow tongue is rich of iron that even a serving size could fulfill the daily intake of iron in your body.
It is like a common knowledge that when it comes to organ meats then they are considered to be unhealthy foods and should be avoided in all cost. The fact is that statement is not really true though perhaps some cautions should be taken into account. Simple example, cow tongue is well known to be high in cholesterol so people tend to avoid consuming it. What people don’t know is though it is able to increase the cholesterol level but if consumed in wise amount, problem like high cholesterol level may not occur since cow tongue is also containing a certain type of fatty acid that could reduce the cholesterol level. That’s why consuming it in wise amount will prevent you from suffering the drawbacks of cow tongue like mentioned below:
1. Increase Cholesterol Level
It is true that consuming cow tongue could increase cholesterol level but it happens only if you consume it more than the serving size recommended. It is because cow tongue contains certain fats that could reduce the production of HDL and at the same time increase the production of LDL or bad cholesterol. The high level of LDL could cause some serious problems like blood clots that will lead to several cardiovascular chronic diseases like stroke and heart attack.
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2. Source of Unhealthy Fat
There are two types of unhealthy fats found in relatively high amount in cow tongue, first is saturated fat and second is trans fat. Saturated fat has contributions in increasing the production of LDL which will increase the risk of heart diseases. While trans fat will worse the condition caused by saturated fat, while saturated fat will increase the production of LDL, trans fat will decrease the production of HDL.
So, if cow tongue is your favorite food, don’t avoid it in all cost because it is actually having some health benefits that good for your life but you must have a self-discipline to make sure you are only consuming cow tongue in the proper size that safe for your body.
Be aware of Where Your Meat Comes From
One more thing you should aware when it comes to meat products, including the meat organs; it is from where they are coming from. You must have heard from news or internet that some diseases are spread through meat imported from unknown source. It is better for you to get your meat from your local distributor and know exactly where they get the meat. Usually, local distributor is getting meat from cows that they’ve been breeding themselves, so they could tell you exactly how they raise the cow and types of foods they give to feed them. The problem is now the regulation of imported meat is still bias and the number of imported meat is still increasing based on the high demands. Some cases below will tell you that local products are the best:
Actually, avoiding imported meat is not only about food safety because by buying local products only you are also contributing in supporting the local distributor and local farmers.
As per recommendation and surprisingly benefits as mentioned above, consuming cow tongue is also good for your health but the high content of several properties could be the drawbacks. There are many health benefits of cow tongue. That’s why for all the benefits you could still consume the cow tongue but with specific instruction that is maximum twice per week or less. If you also consume other foods that could increase cholesterol level and high in fats.