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Rabbit Meat : Health Benefits and Nutrient Composition
Last updated on 2021-09-16T12:04:15 by Olayemi Michael Bsc (nutrition and dietetics)
Unlike pork and beef, rabbit meat doesn’t have a special name, it is called rabbit meat. Due it gaining popularity, some countries import rabbit meat for local consumption. Top 10 countries importing rabbit according to tridge report include:
- Germany
- Portugal
- Switzerland
- United States
- Spain
- Czechia
- Italy
- Belgium
- France
China remains the top exporter of rabbit meat. fresh rabbit meat is sold in the butcheries and markets of some countries, whereas certain supermarkets sell frozen rabbit meat.
Read more: Food High in Fiber
Nutrient Composition of Rabbit Meat
According to USDA, 100g of rabbit meat contains:
| Nutrients | Composition per 100g |
| Protein | 29.06g |
| Carbohydrate | 0g |
| Fiber | 0g |
| Total lipid | 8.05g |
| Ash | 1.04g |
| Calcium | 19mg |
| Iron | 2.27mg |
| Magnesium | 21mg |
| Phosphorous | 263mg |
| Potassium | 383mg |
| Sodium | 47mg |
| Folate | 11ug |
| Selenium | 38.5ug |
| Niacin | 8.43mg |
| Cholesterol | 82mg |
| Zinc | 2.27mg |
Protein: rabbit meat is a rich source of animal protein, animal protein are complete protein because it is not limited in the essential amino acids, 100g of rabbit meat contain 29.06g of protein. This could account for between 40-50% of daily requirement for an healthy individual
Sodium: Rabbit meat has less sodium, which made it heart friendly.
Potassium: The potassium content also made it heart friendly nutrient
Selenium: selenium is a good antioxidant, antioxidants can help find aging, rabbit is a good source of selenium with 38.5ug.
Folate: folic acid is an important nutrient in the diet of a pregnant woman. Rabbit meat has a portion of folate which is so beneficial in this condition.
Cholesterol: the USDA recommends below 300mg of cholesterol consumption per day, 100g of rabbit meat contains 82mg , and this made it great for consumption as it has less chance of raising the cholesterol level in the body.
Health Benefits of Rabbit Meat
- The meat is highly palatable, high in protein and low in calories, fat, and cholesterol.
- Rabbit meat is unique from other meats in that it is entirely white meat.
- It has many nutritional advantages over other meats, such as a lower cholesterol amount than any other meat, more protein per serving than chicken, fish or beef, and the lowest amount of calories per serving.
- The USDA says that rabbit is the most nutritious meat known to mankind.
Rabbit Meat Vs Chicken
According to USDA, 100g of raw chicken contains
Protein - 17.44gTotal lipid - 8.1gCalcium - 6mgIron - 0.82mgPotassium - 522mgSodium - 10.2ugFolate - 1ugCholesterol - 86mg
Rabbit meat contains more protein compared to chicken, it also outperforms chicken in terms of calcium content. Calcium is a great mineral that is great for maintaining good bone health.
Rabbit meat has more folate than chicken which made it the best choice during pregnancy especially in the first trimester.
The cholesterol content is a little bit close but chicken still contains more cholesterol than rabbit, this is a win for rabbit meat. The only area chicken outperforms rabbit meat is the potassium content, chicken has more potassium.
The nutrient content of domesticated rabbits may vary due to quality and type of feed used. Rabbit meat is worth great attention and as a nutritionist, I will recommend it in our daily diet.
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