“Recently, a foreign news report highlighted that pork fat has been ranked as the 8th ‘Healthiest Food in the World.’ According to foreign media outlets, including Surrey Live from the UK on the 6th, BBC Future analyzed 1,000 foods based on food nutrition research published in global journals to select the top 100 healthiest foods.
As a result, pork fat received a score of 73, placing it at 8th. This ranking is higher than vegetables and fruits generally known to be healthy, such as peas, tomatoes, lettuce, red cabbage, oranges, and sweet potatoes, as well as mackerel, a fish renowned for its nutritional value.
Pork fat is rich in vitamin B and minerals, containing about six times more vitamin B1 than beef, which plays an important role in carbohydrate metabolism and contributes to energy production.
In addition, oleic acid found in pork fat is known to benefit heart health. Oleic acid is a type of fat preferred by dieters and is also found in olive oil.
Vitamin D in pork fat aids in the formation of bones and teeth and strengthens the immune system, containing about 200–300 IU of vitamin D per 100g. Notably, fat from free-range pigs contains even more vitamin D.
Although the unsaturated fatty acids in pork fat are very beneficial for health, pork fat also contains a lot of saturated fatty acids, which can be harmful to health if consumed excessively. Saturated fatty acids can raise LDL cholesterol levels, increasing the risk of cardiovascular diseases. Thus, foreign sources report that consuming approximately 100–150g of pork fat per day is appropriate.
Meanwhile, ingredients ranked higher than pork fat include almonds, cherimoya, sea bass, halibut, chia seeds, pumpkin seeds, and chard.”