Pork meat composition and health outcomes reviewed
What it found
Pork meat is rich in protein, B vitamins, zinc and iron, and the few clinical trials in people found no harmful effects on blood lipids or body weight.
The authors say pork can be part of a healthy and sustainable diet.
What they found
Studies in people
Blood lipids in people
A few clinical studies found that including lean pork in the diet had no harmful effects on blood lipids, and some showed improvements in cholesterol levels. However, none of these studies included only pork meat.
Weight and body fat
Randomized trials found no significant differences in body mass index or fat mass when people ate chicken, pork or beef. Lean pork was a viable protein source in weight loss diets.
Cancer risk
No associations were found between pork consumption and colorectal cancer risk, in contrast to possible effects from beef or lamb. For stomach cancer, no significant link was found either.
Other findings
Nutrient profile
Pork meat is rich in high-quality protein, B-complex vitamins, and minerals such as zinc and iron. It has moderate levels of saturated fat compared to beef.
Fat varies by cut
The energy value of 100 g of pork meat can vary from 131 to 355 kcal, and fat content can be as low as 4.7 g or as high as 31.8 g per 100 g. Loin is the leanest cut and has a balanced fatty acid profile.
Sustainability
Pork production has a lower carbon footprint than beef. A dietary pattern preferring meat from non-ruminant animals, including pork, can be considered sustainable.
What the authors conclude
“These data probably justify why the few clinical trials conducted with pork meat have shown null or even inverse associations between its consumption and different risk factors, and specifically when included in a healthy dietary pattern.”
Also in their conclusions
- They say pork meat is an affordable source of protein and several micronutrients.
- They conclude that the few clinical trials conducted with pork meat have shown null or even inverse associations between its consumption and different risk factors, especially when included in a healthy dietary pattern.
- They state that including dietary patterns with pork meat can be considered sustainable.
How it was done
Meat consumption, especially red meat, has been linked to higher risk of heart disease and cancer, and guidelines often advise reducing it. The authors wanted to look specifically at pork, since its composition varies a lot between cuts and it is often grouped with other red meats.
They reviewed the nutritional composition of different pork cuts and the evidence from clinical trials and other studies on how eating pork affects health outcomes. They also looked at sustainability data and dietary patterns that include pork.
What it can’t tell you
- Most data on pork and disease risk come from observational studies, which can show a link but not cause and effect.
- The clinical trials that looked at pork and health outcomes did not include only pork meat, so the specific effects of pork alone cannot be separated from the rest of the diet.
- Meat composition can vary with origin and animal nutrition, and there is a lack of robust studies showing these differences.
Who paid
- Conflicts
- The authors declare no conflicts of interest.
- Authors work at
- CIIEM-Egas Moniz School of Health & Science, Portugal
The paper
- Title
- Pork Meat Composition and Health: A Review of the Evidence
- Type
- ReviewThe authors read earlier studies and describe what they found. It isn’t a new study.
- Evidence
- Studies in people
- Summarised from
- Full text
- Cite
- Vicente F, Pereira PC (2024). Pork Meat Composition and Health: A Review of the Evidence. Foods (Basel, Switzerland). doi:10.3390/foods13121905Free full textPubMed 38928846DOI
Summary written 26 Sep 2026. Check it against the paper before it changes what you eat. How we summarise papers · Report an error