Can nutrients in red meat benefit secondary school children? Carrie Ruxton BSc, PhD Freelance Dietitian and member of the Meat Advisory Panel

What we’ll discuss today Nutrients in red meat Diets of secondary school children Benefits of red meat for learning and sport Is red meat healthy?

NUTRIENTS IN RED MEAT

How much meat do we eat? People eating >90g per day should reduce Average target National Diet and Nutrition Survey (2014)

Nutrients in lean red meat vs. chicken Calculated from McCance & Widdowson integrated food database

Red meat is rich in vitamins and minerals Red meat contains:Function in body: B vitamins, such as vitamin B6, niacin and vitamin B12 Energy release Psychological and nervous function Normal vision IronImmune function Cognitive function Reducing tiredness and fatigue ZincImmune function Hair and nails PotassiumBlood pressure control MagnesiumBone and tooth health Muscle function SeleniumImmune function IodineNormal growth in children Cognitive function Statements based on Authorised EU health claims

Contribution of red meat to vitamin intakes in year olds National Diet and Nutrition Survey (2014)

Contribution of red meat to mineral intakes in year olds National Diet and Nutrition Survey (2014)

DIETS OF SECONDARY SCHOOL CHILDREN

National Diet & Nutrition Survey Rolling programme of annual surveys in the UK with representative sample The 2014 analysis includes 3-day dietary data on 6,828 individuals as follows: – 3,450 adults aged 19 years + – 3,378 children aged 1½ to 18 years.

30% of teen’s calories daily come from ‘less healthy’ foods National Diet and Nutrition Survey (2014)

11-18 year olds often have low intakes National Diet and Nutrition Survey (2014)

Other diet issues High intakes of saturated fat High intakes of sugar – 15% energy instead of recommended 5% energy Low fibre intakes Less than one in ten eat oily fish Averaging just two portions of 5-A-day Meat intakes dominated by processed meats eg. burgers.

BENEFITS OF LEAN RED MEAT FOR LEARNING AND SPORT

Sport Key nutrients for sports performance are: – Protein for muscle function – Carbohydrate for fuel – B vitamins for energy release – Iron for oxygen transport – Zinc, vitamin D and selenium for immune function All except carbohydrate are found in red meat

Role of meat in sport and exercise - Protein Protein maintains normal muscle structure Proteins helps to build new muscle Protein helps repair damaged muscle – helps with recovery after training or competition Protein supports normal bone health Protein supports bone growth in children Red meat provides almost a fifth of daily protein intakes in young people Statements based on Authorised EU health claims

More protein needed for sport RI Protein range recommended for a 65kg female athlete (91-130g) National Diet and Nutrition Survey (2014)

Role of meat in sport and exercise - Iron Good oxygen flow boosts muscle performance during training Iron helps prevent tiredness and fatigue Low iron levels lead to shortness of breath Iron supports cognitive function – good for concentration and mental agility Iron essential for normal immune function – helps keep you healthy while training Statements based on Authorised EU health claims

Learning Key nutrients for brain development and function are: – B vitamins for energy release and psychological function – Omega-3 fatty acids for brain development and learning – Iron for cognitive function – Iodine for cognitive function All are found in red meat Adolescents have higher iron requirements than other age groups

Iron content of red meat mg per 100g as raw weight Qualify for iron claim? Beef2.1Yes Pork0.7No Lamb1.4No Veal0.6No mg per 100g as cooked weight Qualify for iron claim? Beef2.3Yes Pork1.3No Lamb2.1Yes Veal0.9No Surprisingly, red meat often does not qualify for a ‘source’ claim for iron due to the high water content but it is the most bioavailable source in the diet

Iron deficiency in some groups Ref: Bates et al. (2014) NDNS National Diet and Nutrition Survey (2014) 40% of girls have low iron intakes 30% have low ferritin stores 40% of girls have low iron intakes 30% have low ferritin stores

Low iron status bad for learning Low iron status and deficiency has an adverse effect on mood, learning and memory A study in 81 US adolescent girls with iron deficiency found significantly better verbal learning and memory after 8 weeks of iron supplementation (1) A systematic found that extra iron improved cognitive function in 7/10 studies (2) 1. Bruner A et al. (1996) Lancet 348: 992–996; 2. Greig A et al. (2013) J Nutritional Sci 2: e14.

IS RED MEAT HEALTHY?

Media stories are often misleading

Red meat and cancer Evidence sufficient to identify association with high intakes of meat e.g. >50g processed meat daily Not ‘as bad as tobacco’ which increases risk of cancer by 33 times compared with high meat consumption In UK, sausages and burgers are fresh meat, not processed

Recommendations Scientific Advisory Committee on Nutrition recommends up to 70g cooked red and processed meat daily to ensure adequate iron intakes (2010) Adolescent males eat 74g on average while girls eat only 45g daily Average intakes of processed meat in UK are around 17g – well below the 50g highlighted by WHO as a concern.

Conclusions Red meat is a healthy option! Teenagers can lack important nutrients for normal health and development Red meat is a valuable source of these, especially bioavailable iron and zinc Nutrients found in red meat support learning and sports performance, especially protein, iron, B vits and iodine Many girls have low intakes of meat, while some boys eat slightly too much Encourage young people to choose lean cuts of red meat and keep processed and fatty meat options to occasional treats.