Sunday, April 5, 2009

Bacon Bit #B05: Bacon is GOOD for you!

We're not kidding--the foodstuff often maligned with the reputation of being the worst possible edible you could put in your mouth actually has health benefits. Seriously! The numbers vary by brand, company, strip thickness, curing method, etc., but basically here's the good news:

A two-strip serving of delicious cured pork has about 5g of protein (roughly equivalent to that yucky cup of yogurt you were thinking about having for breakfast).

Bacon is rich in a number of vitamins; for example, a serving delivers about 10% of your daily recommended dose of B6 (necessary for protein metabolism and immune-system functions), and about 12% of the B12 (important for maintaining normal brain function) you need in a day.

Bacon also contains a bunch of minerals--12% of your daily zinc (needed for metabolism and immunity functions), 30% of the phosphorus (cellular function), and 30% of the niacin (which can actually lower cholesterol, and the risk of heart attack).

To sum up: While it's probably not a good idea to subsist on bacon alone (as great as that may sound), it's not as horrible for you as the bacon haters have led you to believe. The next time you cook up a package of bacon for you and your loved ones, know that you're helping them live healthy, happy lives.

BTW, we're not just pulling this information out of our collective tukises. Our Web sources include the National Institutes of Health, the Linus Pauling Institute at Oregon State University (go, Beavers!), and Drugs.com. Also, the adorable Boston Terrier pic above comes from WelcomeToTheDoghouse.net--go there and you can see all sorts of other awesome art.

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