Whether you are an avid deer hunter or just the hobbyist, there is a good chance that you’ve pondered eating deer meat. Isn’t the reason that most people hunt in the first place? Sure, the chase is good and exciting and all that, but isn’t it really about deer meat? So, what is deer meat called?
You’ll find that most people in the industry will refer to deer meat using the term venison. If you take your meat to a professional to have it tailored into loins or slabs, the butcher will refer to it as venison.
Speak with an avid hunter about meats and he’ll refer to them as venison as well.
Baby deer meat doesn’t have a technical name for their meat. And, that is because most people don’t generally eat it. In fact, in the United States and other countries, it is illegal to hunt fawns. In addition to this, deer are not domesticated and rarely if ever husbanded, which means there is no farmed slaughter of baby deer.
For a culinary standpoint, you’ll find that deer meat is rather mild and lacking in fat. Given this information, there would be no sense in consuming baby deer meat.
[Related Post: Why Do Deer Freeze In Headlights: [The Truth]
Is Venison Good For You
If you take the time to put in your research or speak with experts in the field, you’ll likely come across varied answers when asking if deer meat is safe or if it is good for you.
That aside, there are plenty of people that will argue the morality of shooting such helpless creatures, but it is hard to argue the point that it makes the roads much safer and it’s food for our families.
Whether PETA wants to admit it or not, there are parts of the nation that are overrun with rampant deer populations
. Look at the annual deer-involved vehicular accidents and you’ll see exactly what this means.
The numbers are truly shocking, as the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety estimates that there are at least 1.5 million deer-involved vehicular incidents a year.
Of course, this doesn’t answer the ultimate question of whether deer meat is good for you or not. Below, you’ll learn about some of the nutrition facts and health benefits associated with the meat.
Health Benefits Of Venison
The first thing that you need to know is that the body produces what is known as CoQ10. This is a vitamin-like substance that is naturally made in the body and the production will decrease over time.
As you grow older, you will no longer be able to produce the same amounts of this substance. Well, reindeer meat is the highest food source that you’ll find of CoQ10. It contains right around 15.8 milligrams per 100 grams of meat.
White-tailed deer and other species only contain moderate amounts, but this is still more than what you’ll get with other food sources.
Meats for red deer of Europe and Asia can contain as much as 330 milligrams of the powerful antioxidant L carnosine. They’ll contain this much for every 100-gram serving.
Venison usually only offers 157 calories per every 3.5-ounce serving, so that averages out to 40 percent fewer calories than beef and 10 percent less than chicken breast.
Simply put, venison will do wonders for your diet. On top of this, wild venison will have 50 percent lower total fat than beef as well as 40 percent lower saturated fat.
Not only is venison lower in fat and saturated fat, but it actually offers more protein. That’s right, it offers 20 percent more protein when compared to beef. With beef, you only get 6.2 grams of protein for every ounce serving. With venison, you’ll get as much as 7.4 grams per every ounce serving.
Also, if you are hunting wild game, it is likely that you won’t have to worry about growth hormones and other unwanted, potentially harmful substances. Raised cattle these days are given every hormone imaginable so that they’ll grow bigger faster.
[Related Post: How Do Deer Stay Warm In The Winter:[Hibernate?]
The Potential Dangers Of Consuming Venison
You can see that venison is packed with tons of potential health benefits. However, this doesn’t mean that consuming the substance doesn’t come without any risks at all. In fact, deer meat would be classified as red meat and all red meats are considered a high source of heart disease. Why is this the case?
Well, deer meat just like other red meats contains what is known as L carnitine. According to several studies and trails, L carnitine increases your risk of heart disease. The reason it does this is because of the interaction with the human gut.
The substance itself isn’t harmful, but when it is metabolized in the human gut, it creates what is known as trimethylamine N-oxide (TMAO). TMAO is supposed to be highly known for damaging the arteries and leading to increased risks of heart attacked, strokes, and congestive heart failure.
Along with this, some reports say eating large portions of red meat for prolonged periods can lead to increased risks of cancer.
Conclusion
There is simply no denying that venison offers tons of potential health benefits. Not only this but hunting and consuming the meat makes certain areas where the deer population is running rampant safer.
That being said, there is also no denying that it could be potentially dangerous. If you want to consume the substance, your best bet would be to consume it in moderation just like you would other red meats or alcohols.
