HOW PORK /BACON IS HEALTHY IN INDIA-?

Pork production Scenario in India—

In India, domestic meat production and processing is governed by the ‘Meat Food Products Order’ (MFPO), 1973. This order establishes sanitary and hygienic standards for slaughter houses and sets residue levels for meat products. Until recently, the MFPO was managed by the Ministry of Food Processing Industries (MoFPI) However, with the creation of the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI), the MFPO was brought under the umbrella of the Food Safety and Standard Regulations, which is overseen by FSSAI.

Pork production in India is limited, representing only 7% of the country’s animal protein

sources. Production is concentrated mainly in the northeastern corner of the country and

consists primarily of backyard and informal sector producers .The Indian market for processed pork products is small, and the majority of this market is supplied through imports. Although there are some local companies which manufacture processed products such as sausages and bacon, quantities are limited and the industry is small. According to MoFPI, there are 3600 slaughter houses in India, although the majority of these facilities do not export. There is a small number of abattoirs in India which meet international standards. However, these facilities do not process pork meat.

Production:

Pork production in India contributes approximately 8 percent of the country’s animal protein sources. According to the Livestock Census, 2012, published by Government of India (GOI), the pig population declined by 7.5 percent to 10.3 million from 2007 to 2012. The decline in population may be attributed to disease outbreaks. The eastern and north eastern regions of the country comprise around 63 percent of the pig population. The highest pig population is in state of Assam (1.63 million) followed by Uttar Pradesh (1.33 million), Jharkhand (0.96 million), Bihar (0.65 million) and West Bengal (0.65 million). The pork production is concentrated mainly in the states of Uttar Pradesh (30 percent), followed by north-eastern states (25 percent), (Bihar (15 percent), West Bengal (6 percent), Karnataka (4 percent), Jharkhand (4 percent), and Kerala (3 percent)

Pork consumption: —

Indian pork consumption can be divided into two segments:

1. The vast majority takes place in the informal sector in the form of locally raised fresh

pork meat. This meat is not widely distributed in the organized retail sector. Given

cultural perceptions and consumer perceptions about pork meat, consumption of fresh

local meat is limited to north eastern India where pork consumption is more prevalent.

2. The second segment of the pork market deals with high-value imported products.

These products include cured meats such as sausages, ham, bacon and canned meat

products, as well as small quantities of frozen meat. They are typically found in most

leading Indian hotels catering to international business travellers and tourists.

Additionally, there is demand for imported pork products amongst well-travelled

Indian consumers and foreigners residing in India. Processed products such as sliced

meats, hams, bacon and sausage can be found in specialty shops and high-end

restaurants.

In the next ten years, it is predicted that the total consumption of meat in India will double from its present numbers. As per capita income of individuals rises, they tend to spend on improving their lifestyle and food consumption habits.

Pork consumption is negligible in India, with the exception of the north-east while it is a

major item elsewhere. In the European Union, 42.6 kg pork is consumed per person every

year, while in the US, 29.7 kgs are consumed. Pork is a staple for Chinese, and so over 35 kg

are consumed per person per year. India’s consumption levels of Pork meat are significantly

low when compared to other meats, for example, 1.6 kg per person per year for Beef and 1.9

kg per person per annum for poultry meat. The total world consumption of meat is estimated

to be of the order of 240 million tons per annum and India’s share of consumption is only

2.2%.

India’s States and regions are diverse in terms of economic factors affecting food demand, including population, income, and urbanization.

• North-East India: The eight states in North East India (Assam, Arunachal Pradesh,

Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Sikkim and Tripura) are ethnically and

culturally akin to South East Asia and are amongst the poorest in India with a much

higher proportion of the population below the poverty line (35%) than the national

average (26%). For the majority tribal population, livestock keeping – especially pig

keeping – is integral to their way of life in the NE Region. There is a growing demand

for pork due to increasing per capita income, urbanization and changes in lifestyle and

food habits. Much of this demand is met from imports from other states in India and

from Myanmar.

North East India has much higher pork consumption that the rest of the country. Of

these states, Nagaland has the highest per capita consumption. The tribal population in

particular appears to consume more pork on average than other groups. Traders in both

Assam and Nagaland reported that the demand for pork was increasing along with

prices.

• South India: Goa, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Tamilnadu, Kerala, Bangalore

-States are meat-eaters and small Christian sectors also consume pork.

– Pork is a popular meat in Goa and the eastern states of India.

– It is eaten by the Portuguese Christians in Goa.

• Chinese of Kolkata (West Bengal)

– Community of immigrants and descendants; only city in India with a Chinatown. Chinese population of 11000.

Consumption: —

The per capita pork consumption in India is negligible with the consumption mainly concentrated in north-eastern states including Assam, Nagaland, Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Sikkim, and Tripura. Other Indian states with high pork consumption include Bihar, Jharkhand, West Bengal, Goa and Kerala. India’s Muslim population comprising 14.2 percent of the total population do not eat pork due to religious reasons. Besides, large sections of Indians consumers are suspicious about cleanliness of domestic pork meat as pigs are natural scavenger; the factors further limiting the growth of pork meat sector. In fact, India’s pork consumption can be divided into two segments. First segment being the consumption in the form of fresh pork meat sold through unorganized wet markets and meat vendors. The second segment is the high value imported pork products like sausages, ham, bacon, salami, canned meat products and frozen meat. The hotels and restaurants are the major buyers of the imported pork products, which cater to international travelers and wealthier Indian consumers. There is also retail demand for imported pork products amongst the well-traveled Indian consumers and foreigners residing in India. Though imported pork cuts are preferred for its quality, these are three to four times more expensive than the domestically produced pork cuts. The distribution of imported frozen pork products and other meat products is a major challenge due to insufficient cold chain infrastructure across the country. Poultry is the most preferred meat in India which is currently experiencing a strong growth. The processed pork segment is still very small but growing at a rapid pace due to socio-economic and demographic changes. The major market for processed pork is limited to large Indian cities such as Delhi, Mumbai, Bangalore, Kolkata, and Pune. A large segment of the processed pork demand is in high end hotels and restaurants which serve pork products such as ham, bacon, and sausages for the breakfast buffet and other meals. The expanding popularity of Italian and Chinese cuisines amongst high end consumer segment also drives the demand for pork products. The domestic processed pork segment is catered by few organized players selling products such as ham, bacon, salami, sausages and frozen meat. Most of these processors do not have any integrated value chain but procure pigs through informal contracts with pig farmers.

Is Bacon Healthy For You?—

There is a notion that the best tasting foods in the world are the ones that are the unhealthiest. We know this isn’t necessarily true, but for those who are trying to maintain a healthier diet, it might feel just like that. After all, most people only crave for foods that are either rich in sugar, rich in salt, or just rich in fats. One of these guilty pleasures also has a reputation for being one of the best tasting foods in the world. Bacon has always been looked at as delicious yet dangerous. However, recent studies are suggesting that bacon may actually be not as bad as people think it is.

To understand how bacon can be a healthy addition to any diet, it’s important to first know what it is and where it comes from. Traditional bacon, as most people know it to be, is a pork product that is usually cured. Curing is a process of preservation using large amounts of salt. Depending on the area where it comes from, different cuts of meat are used to make bacon.

Bacon can definitely be part of a healthy diet as long as it is consumed in moderation. It is also best to purchase bacon that came from clean and healthy, even organic meats. There is no need to eliminate bacon from any diets entirely. Matter of fact, bacon can even provide nutrients that can keep the body in optimal condition. As long as bacon is combined with other healthy food items, there is no need to not enjoy the deliciousness of bacon.

Bacon typically goes through a curing process, where the meat is soaked in a solution of salt, nitrates, spices and sometimes sugar. In some cases the bacon is smoked afterwards.

The curing is done in order to preserve the meat. The high salt makes the meat an unfriendly environment for bacteria to live in and the nitrates also fight bacteria and help the bacon preserve its red color.

Bacon is Fairly Nutritious-—

Meat tends to be very nutritious and bacon is no exception. A typical 100g portion of cooked bacon contains :

• 37 grams of high quality animal protein.

• Lots of vitamins B1, B2, B3, B5, B6 and B12.

• 89% of the RDA for Selenium.

• 53% of the RDA for Phosphorus.

• Decent amounts of the minerals iron, magnesium, zinc and potassium.

Bacon is also pretty high in sodium, which makes sense given how it is cured with sodium during processing.

21 Scientific Health Benefits of Bacon (Top Nutrients and Facts)—-

What is bacon? Is bacon has benefits for our body? That questions always appear when people hear the word “bacon.” Actually, bacon is very tasteful for every people who already eat it. Bacon is a kind of meat. Indeed, bacon is a meat product prepared from pork and usually cured. Bacon is prepared from different cuts of meat. Further, it can be made from the side and back cuts of pork or from pork belly. As bacon is loaded with fat, but they are the kind of “healthy” fat depend on what the animal eats. Meanwhile, the fat in bacon consists of 50% of mono-saturated and most of it are oleic acid, which is the same acid as olive oil that considered as heart-healthy. Indeed, 40% of them are saturated fat which had a fair amount of Cholesterol, and 10% of it are a Polyunsaturated fatty acid which is bad fat in bacon. Yet, meat is usually full of nutrient and so is with bacon.

Meanwhile, bacon using pig meat with a steaming and salting techniques. It makes the texture and the taste of bacon is smooth and salty. Although, pig meat is illegal in some countries, bacon is very popular in Europe, American, and China. As a result, for health benefits overall bacon has benefits like meat commonly.

Nutrients Value in Bacon

Health Tricks with Bacon

1. Increase your Metabolism

Bacon can increase your metabolism because it has a vitamin B1. Meanwhile, vitamin B1 will help you to make your body better. Also, metabolism is the activity inside of your body that processes all things that your body needs such as make your absorption system in your body keep normal and your breathing system better. So, metabolism is very important for your life.and bacon is a good choice for your main menu because of that benefit.

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2. Protect Body from Heart Attack and Stroke

It seems like impossible if bacon can protect you from heart attack yet it is the fact. Meanwhile, bacon contains vitamin B1. It makes your metabolism well. Also, one of benefit that your metabolism normal is your body can protect itself from a heart attack and stroke. Thus, heart attack appears from your abnormal blood circulation and had blocked by bad fats. Indeed, stroke appears almost same with heart attack conditions but stroke usually attack your brain. Nevertheless, bad fats makes your blood vessels around your brain tighten.

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3. Faster Healing your External Injuries

Bacon has a cooking technique, that is salting. So, it means bacon contain a salt. Meanwhile, Salt has so many benefits. Thus, one of all makes your healing for your external injuries faster. Example, it is for an injury like get slash by a knife. It means an injury that produces blood as salt contains sodium. As a result, sodium can regenerate your cell in your body faster.

4. Make your Bone Stronger

Well, it is possible that consuming bacon can make your bone stronger. In fact, bacon contains a calcium and everybody knows that calcium can regenerate your bone, make you taller and make your bone stronger. Thus, you can meet calcium in milk, cheese, any vegetables, etc.

5. Increase your Immunity

Bacon has a lot of minerals and vitamins that makes your immunity increasing. Thus, one of important minerals for your health that can increase your immunity is zinc. Thus, a person will be more susceptible to disease if it has low zinc levels in the body. Zinc is also found in the nervous system, immune system, blood tissues, the human digestive system, and is involved in metabolism by nearly 300 kinds of enzymes in the body.

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6. Kill Cancer Cells

Bacon has possibility of killing cancer cells because the power of zinc. Thus, zinc is an antioxidant agent, helping fight oxidation stress and decrease the chance for disease development. Also, zinc will support healthy cell division, preventing cancerous cell mutation and stunting tumour growth.

7. Decrease Diabetes Risks

Diabetes is a disease where the body of the sufferer can not automatically control the level of sugar (glucose) in the blood. In a healthy body, the pancreas release insulin hormone that carries sugar through the blood to the muscles and other tissues for energy supply. Thus, diabetes is a metabolic disorder (metabolic syndrome) of distribution of sugar by the body. Diabetics can not produce insulin in sufficient quantities, or the body can not use insulin effectively so that there was an excess of sugar in the blood. Indeed, insulin is a name of the hormone that controls glucose in your body. Usually, diabetes appear because the patient eats too much food that contains a lot of sugar. As a result, effects of diabetes is a heart attack, disruption in your vision and hearing. and etc.

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8. Antioxidant Source

Meanwhile, Bacon is also the source of antioxidant. Bacon can boost immunity and stabilize the body temperature to remain normal. Causes the body does not get sick or infected with a virus from free radicals. As a result, antioxidant uses as body protection for cancer cells and maintain overall health.

9. Prevent Osteoporosis

This is another benefit of calcium which contains in bacon. Thus, calcium is good to maintain and promote bone health and bone strength.Thus, you may now eat bacon and get this benefit. Also, calcium is beneficial for teeth health.

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10. Prevent Anemia

Bacon containing selenium which is very beneficial for preventing blood deficiency or anemia. Meanwhile, it may promote red blood circulation and prevent the possibility of anemia. Thus, anemia is disorder causing you feel weak, tired, and sluggish.

11. Prevent Alzheimer

Every people will be getting older, a variety of health problems would be vulnerable problems arise such as Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s and other brain disorders. Consuming foods that contain fat may help the absorption of vitamin D. Vitamin D is to degrade a wide range of problems and disturbances in your brain.and bacon has a fat for help prevents Alzheimer.

12. Healthy Heart – Fat, especially saturated fat contribute significantly to improving the health of your heart organs.

13. Keep your Vision Healthy – Bacon contains vitamin A which is very good for your eyes.

14. Increase your Appetite – Besides bacon has a good taste for increase your appetite, bacon has a mineral that zinc for help you to control your appetite. and also there is has more benefits from bacon beside our explanation above.

Fun Facts about Eating Bacon

15. Good for the Growth of Children

Bacon has an almost complex vitamin and minerals. Especially, calcium for the children. Although calcium level between bacon and milk is different, but it enough for your children. So, it may be the alternative for your children to consume vitamins and minerals in fun way by bacon.

16. Cure Stress

Stress appear because anything. Meanwhile, a lot of problems can trigger your stress. So, if you want to decrease or cure your stress like doing sports activity every day and eat regularly. Thus, do not forget to get enough rest and don’t mind your problem. Actually, decrease or cure your stress has a much ways and bacon will help you to decrease your stress. Indeed, stress is related to your circulation inside your blood vessels and when your circulation normal, you can not get stress. It is same like stroke, stress usually called the low level of stroke.

17. Increase your Energy

Bacon has a big protein like common meat, low carbohydrate energy that helps to reset metabolism, making weight loss much easier and is helpful in building muscle tissues that are lean and strong. So, food experts suggest grabbing a piece of bacon before you head out for a workout session or to deal with a particularly long day.

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18. Make you Smarter

potassium inside of bacon can expedite the entry of oxygen in large numbers in the bloodstream and tissues surrounding the blood vessels in the head, especially the brain. Brain cells getting better and function with quick response to capture the information conveyed by nerves of the body. Potassium can educate motor and the way of thinking towards a better child.

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Skin Beauty Tricks with Bacon

19. Skin Lightening

Benefits of bacon are contained collagen, which is quite high. Collagen inside bacon can be used as a drug and facial skin care. Thus, girls out there would not be worry anymore of eating too much bacon.

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20. Anti Acne

Potassium in bacon can control the amount of excess natural oils that the skin surface, regulates the level of water in the skin to stay balanced and to protect the amount of collagen. To avoid yourself from free radicals and improve skin tissue in order to stay healthy and not dry, so that the face to avoid fatigue and prevent the appearance of acne.

Nutritional Benefits of Pork:

Pork is the rich source of Vitamins and minerals. Hence, the nutritional value of Pig Meat is in the table below.

Vitamins and Nutrients Daily Value (DV) % Role in the human body

Thiamin(Vitain B1) 54% Thiamin helps in carbohydrate, proteins and fat metabloism. Pork is a major source for Vitabin B1.

Riboflavin (Vitamin B2) 19% Riboflavin is rarely present in the daily foods we eat. Milk is a major source of Riboflavin. Pork is next to milk with higher amounts of Vitamin B2. It plays a key role in energy metabolism in the body.

Niacin (Vitamin B3) 37% Niacin plays a key role in fatty acids and sugar metabolism.

Cyanocobalamin (Vitamin B12) 8% It metabolizes carbohydrates and fatty acids in the body. RBC count increases with amount of Cobalamin.

Pyridoxin (Vitamain B6) 37% It plays a key role of Glycogen Metabolism in the human body.

Iron 5% Iron deficiency is harmful to women, especially for pregnants. Iron deficiency causes Anemia Disease.

Magnesium 6% It play an important role in normal function of muscles and glucose. It helps for enzymes and catalysts.

Phosphorous 20% Phosphorous helps in strengthening bones and energy generating in the body.

Potassium 11% It helps in maintaining normal BP (Blood Pressure) and water balance levels in the body.

Zinc 14% Zinc is a major component for 70 types of enzymes. Energy metabolism depednds on Zinc peercentage in the body.

Here is a list of the Top 10 Reasons why bacon is actually healthy for you!

Pork-Powered Protein: The protein found in bacon is extremely valuable to maintaining our energy levels and a fully functioning, healthy body, with a minimum of those nasty, waist, thigh and butt expanding, fat-building carbohydrates.

Bacon’s Blood-Balancing Bounty: Several university and medical center studies have shown that including bacon as a regular, moderate part of one’s diet naturally works to lower the body’s blood pressure and blood sugar levels, helping to prevent and/or alleviate the effects of diabetes, as well as heart disease, stroke and heart attack.

Flushing Fat With Flavorful, Friendly Flesh: While people have heard horror stories for years that bacon is full of harmful fat and after all, if you are what you eat, who wants to be a PIG? But the facts are completely the opposite, as bacon helps to fully satiate our appetite with high protein / low carb energy, helping the body lose weight, raise one’s metabolism and build leaner, stronger muscles.

Bacon actually has less total fat, saturated fat and cholesterol than many popular cuts of beef and chicken. While some fish has less fat and cholesterol than bacon, bacon has more protein power and does not contain toxins such as mercury.

Bacon’s Brain Building Business: Bacon is chock full of a very important nutrient called “choline,” which helps increase our intelligence and memory, from conception to Senior Status, and has been shown in University studies to help fight off the debilitating effects of Alzheimer’s Disease and other chronic mental impairments.

Bacon Lets You “Pig Out” On Essential Vitamins & Minerals: Bacon provides us with substantial amounts of the important, necessary vitamins and minerals our bodies need to function healthfully. From bacon, we receive: 65% of our Recommended Daily Intake of Thiamin (Vitamin B1) as well as 47% of our Niacin (Vitamin B3), 38% of our Vitamin B12, 36% of our Zinc, 24% of our Vitamin B6, 22% of our Riboflavin (Vitamin B2), 22% of our Phosphorus, 10% of our Pantothenate, 10% of our Magnesium, 9% of our Iron and the Protein to fat balance in bacon is actually 4 to 1, which is one of the highest protein to fat balances found in any meat, fish or fowl found on Earth.

Effective Mood Elevator: Bacon makes you feel happy, satisfied, blissful, which greatly reduces stress in our lives and effectively relieves the negative effects of frustration, self-deprivation and sense of lack in one’s existence.

Nitrates and Nitrites – Now Non-Issues: The fact is, while it is true that nitrates and nitrites are unhealthy for your body, what most pro -veggie, chicken and fish nutritionists fail to tell you is that you can easily avoid nitrates and nitrites by simply (A) not burning / charring / over cooking your bacon or by (B) Baking your bacon in the oven.

Some people also choose to avoid nitrates and nitrites by (C) cooking their bacon in the microwave, however, some medical research shows a strong correlation between microwaved proteins (all meats and proteins, from beef to fish, from cheese to eggs and even milk) and cancers caused by protein mutation under the conditions of microwave bombardment, so we recommend using the oven, 400 degrees, 8 to 10 minutes per side.

P.S. if you always include some dairy and citrus in your bacon meal, the vitamins A, D and E work to effectively prevent conversion of “nitrates and nitrites into dangerously toxic “nitrosamines” in the stomach, rendering them harmless to the body.

Bacon Power Now Expands To Our Vehicles and Industry: Yes, believe it or not, a company in The United Kingdom, TMI Foods has already successfully found a way to use bacon fat and grease to manufacture a powerful, low emission, environmentally friendly, all-natural, bio-diesel fuel that can be used to effectively and inexpensively run anything from motor vehicles to turbines and from the various engines of industry to illuminating and empowering generators. That’s right … Pig Power now also means “Power To The People!”

Universally Beloved Flavor Enhancer: Because bacon tastes so amazingly awesome, we’re a LOT more willing to set many of our finicky ways aside to enthusiastically eat many of the boring, icky, lackluster, so-called, “healthy, nutritious food items” that are supposedly good for us, as long as they come wrapped in bacon or with lots of bacon bits broken up and served with or within them.

While We Heart Bacon – Bacon Heart’s Your Heart: While people over the years have mistakenly made jokes about bacon being a leading contributor to heart disease, actually there are in fact several studies that show that the Omega-3 Fatty Acids and “choline” found in bacon can actually protect the heart from developing detrimental problems, as well as actually help HEAL such anomalies, after they have occurred!

Unlike the Omega-3 Fatty Acids supplements derived from fish sources, the ones that come from bacon aren’t chock full of poisonous mercury, like most of the popular fish oil versions are. So bacon Omega-3’s can not only help prevent heart disease, as well as lower your cholesterol, reduce inflammation and improve circulation, but also help you to avoid mercury and other toxic poisons being regularly spewed into our planet’s oceans.

Here are 10 reasons to enjoy a hearty helping of bacon any time of day.

1. It stops food cravings. The one property of bacon that’s been blasted by misguided medical professionals also happens to make it an excellent weight-loss food: Its high saturated fat content.

On the contrary, saturated fat actually fills you up faster than high carbohydrate foods, which means you’ll eat less to feel full. In fact, studies have shown that people who increase fat intake and decrease carbohydrate intake witness unparalleled long-term weight loss.2

2. Bacon raises high-density lipoprotein cholesterol. HDL, or “good” cholesterol, is one of the most important markers for heart disease. The higher your HDL levels, the better your health — and conversely, the lower your HDL, the higher your chances of developing heart disease.

This is another benefit of bacon’s high saturated fat content. It has been shown time and again that eating saturated fat is one of the most effective ways to increase your HDL levels.3 So despite all that crap about saturated fat being bad for your heart, it turns out it’s actually good for your heart!

Another obvious conclusion of these studies: Low-fat diets may actually be killing your arteries.

3. It’s low in carbs. Carbohydrates — not saturated fat — will make you fat. While the science is complex, it all has to do with how the fat-storing hormone insulin is affected by each macronutrient. Carbs raise insulin levels way more than fats do; and the more insulin you have in your blood stream, the more the food you eat will be stored as fat.

4. It contains a significant amount of protein — and high-quality protein at that. While bacon may not contain as much protein as a cut of steak, a few slices provide a decent amount of protein.

Now, to understand protein quality, you have to understand that protein is made up of various amino acids. The more of these amino acids present in the protein, the more the protein is considered “complete.”

Most vegetable sources of protein are incomplete, and require additional vitamin supplements. Bacon, on the other hand, has one of the highest amounts of essential amino acids (meaning your body needs them but can’t make them) out there, including tryptophan (important for brain health), leucine (builds muscles), and glutamic acid (essential for your nervous system).

5. Bacon is a great source of selenium. This is a nutrient that’s a key component of a healthy thyroid gland. Selenium also happens to be a potent antioxidant that, when paired with antioxidant vitamin E, can prevent certain degenerative eye diseases and hair loss.7

Doctors are also recommending selenium for people with arthritis and heart diseases, which may mean it plays an important role in joint and cardiovascular health as well.

6. It’s chock-full of phosphorus. Phosphorus is a basic building block of your DNA, as well as ATP, the energy molecule that makes muscle movement possible.8

Phosphorus also combines with calcium to form calcium phosphate, which is responsible for stiffening bones and teeth. Phosphorus deficiency can cause neurological and muscular problems.

7. It’s a potent packer of the B vitamin Niacin.

According to the University of Maryland Medical Center:

All B vitamins help the body to convert food (carbohydrates) into fuel (glucose), which is used to produce energy. These B vitamins, often referred to as B complex vitamins, also help the body use fats and protein. B complex vitamins are needed for healthy skin, hair, eyes, and liver. They also help the nervous system function properly. Niacin also helps the body make various sex and stress-related hormones in the adrenal glands and other parts of the body. Niacin helps improve circulation.9

Skin, hair, eyes, liver, circulation, and sexual health — sounds to me like this is a vitamin we should be getting plenty of… not to mention that niacin deficiency sounds like some scary stuff:

Symptoms of mild deficiency include indigestion, fatigue, canker sores, vomiting, and depression. Severe deficiency can cause a condition known as pellagra. Pellagra is characterized by cracked, scaly skin, dementia, and diarrhea. It is generally treated with a nutritionally balanced diet and niacin supplements. Niacin deficiency also causes burning in the mouth and a swollen, bright red tongue.10

8. It contains choline. Choline has been hyped recently for being one of the most important vitamins for brain health.

The truth is it’s done everything to deserve that hype. Studies have shown that choline can improve memory, learning speeds, and brain cell size. It may even help prevent Alzheimer’s.11 Choline is a precursor to the neurotransmitter acetylcholine, which is not only key for muscle movement, but also sensory perception, sustaining attention, and decision-making.

Another great source of choline is eggs. So double down on your brain-healthy breakfast with a healthy dose of bacon and eggs!

9. It’s versatile. Bacon is a go-to for breakfast — but more and more, bacon is being added to all kinds of dishes. You can find bacon covered in chocolate, bacon in soup, even bacon-flavored vodka (that one’s not recommended!) at grocery stores and in restaurants. You can use bacon to spice up just about any dish, from appetizers to desserts.

10. Bacon is delicious! The best reason to eat bacon is its amazing taste! There are many different cuts and flavors out there, and it’s worth trying as many as you can…