Biltong, one of South Africa’s dried meat snacks which is usually cured with traditional spices has become an increasingly popular delicacy worldwide especially among meat lovers. According to most of these individuals, biltong is the king of South African foods and not just because of its taste but the various health benefits which it brings to the table. People are now becoming conscious of what they eat in an attempt to minimize the rise of lifestyle diseases that have been ruining lives and biltong comes in handy to keep up with acceptable health standards while offering good nutritional benefits. A few benefits which can be associated by biltong include;
Minimal fat content.
The snack has very little fats of as little as 2g fats in 100g of the biltong snack. This is considerably small considering other snacks have as high as 49g fat for 100g and thus a good snack for individuals who are on a diet trying to reduce weight.
Sufficient vitamin content.
There are high levels of vitamin B12 and other B vitamins which have very important functions in the human body. Vitamin B12 is responsible for red blood cell production, maintaining the optimum health of your nervous system and helps the body to effectively release the energy which is derived from the food that you ingest.
High protein content.
Considering this South African dried snack is developed from the meat of various animals, it has a high protein content of up to 40r per 100g of the snack. The importance of proteins in the human body includes the development and maintenance of muscles, healthy heart and brain functioning among other benefits. All in all, excessive consumption is not advisable and you should eat with moderation to get the desired benefits along with its great taste.
High iron source.
Iron is necessary for the body for several normal body functions whose deficiency leads to elevated heart rates, dizziness, and fatigue which necessitates the need to consume feed rich in iron. The biltong snack has a sufficient supply of this much-required element and doctors recommend it to patients suffering from anemia considering there are very few meats that can be consumed on the go like biltong. Furthermore, biltong is a dried snack and would for a significantly long time without going bad, this is beneficial especially when going out for a hike and other activities ensuring you have all you need as opposed to other foods that would need refrigeration to offer equivalent nutritional value.
Good source of creatine.
Creatine is a substance usually found in meaty proteins that increases the body’s ability to generate more power and hence beneficial for sports personalities, especially during their training exercises. Even though there are some controversies concerning it use in this form, this amino acid is usually present in various food items which I would recommend for use as opposed to artificial creatine which is likely to result in liver complications.
