Is Oxtail Healthy?

Winters, cozy beds, loved ones, and oxtail soup make the perfect scenario. Oxtail soup is the comfort food of so many of us and it’s not without a reason. Its rich, beefy and gelatinous meat can make everyone its die-hard fan but is it really healthy to consume? Since oxtail is extracted from the tail portion of cow/ox and looks not so presentable, many people hesitate to have it.

However, the concerns are not only due to its unpresentable look but due to its high gelatin ratio. So today, we are going to discuss whether oxtail is healthy or not. And if so, how much consumption lies within the safe limit? Let’s begin!

Nutrient content of oxtail

A 3oz serving of oxtail comes with the following nutrients in the concentration as follows

Total Calories 262 calories
Fat 14.34 grams
Cholesterol 141 milligrams
Protein 30.93 grams
Carbohydrates No carbohydrates
Sodium 233 milligrams
Calcium 10 milligrams
Iron 3.6 milligrams

 

It’s also important to mention here that 130 calories, out of 262, come from the fat content of oxtail whereas the remaining 132 calories come from other nutrients like protein and cholesterol. Similarly, about 8.78 grams of total fat portion consists of unsaturated fats whereas 5.56g consists of saturated one. Remember that the amount of content may vary as you’d add other ingredients to the recipe, too.

Health benefits of oxtail

Source: finedininglovers.com

1. Keep skin in the best form

Protein in the oxtail is there in the forming of collagen since more than 30% of overall collagen in the animal body is found in its tails and legs. Due to having such high collagen concentration, it does wonders to your dead and aging skin.

By blending with elastin and keratin, collagen works to improve the skin texture and its tissue structure, making your skin look glowing, even-toned, stretched, and flawless. Besides the skin, this collagen part also contributes to the growth and repair of body cells which in turn, amend your toxic food choices.

2. Maintain your bone health

Oxtail contains a healthy amount of potassium, iron, and calcium. Whenever it’s boiled in the soup, these metals seep out into the soup, making them more readily available for intake. Iron and calcium strengthen your bones and that’s why oxtail soap is recommended for people with arthritis or osteoporosis problems.

At the same time, potassium helps your body cells to work normally, by regulating the cell fluid and plasma volume. Another interesting thing is that oxtail consumption may suppress the chances of blood diseases like anemia due to being high in iron.

Adverse effects of overconsumption

Source: finedininglovers.com

1. Obesity and cardiovascular diseases

Oxtail is high in cholesterol and fat which, if over-consumed, would lead to obesity. Also, such sort of food might be hard to digest for people who haven’t had it before.

Cholesterol may deposit in your body in the form of fat piles or make walls on the inner side of blood vessels which in turn may lead to various cardiovascular and pulmonary diseases.

2. Disturbed stomach

Even though the oxtail is rich in protein, it’s not the standard protein but one has less number of amino acids. Due to this incomplete protein content, you may suffer from stomach disturbance after overeating oxtail. Plus, for having a high purine concentration, oxtail soup may worsen your uric acid problem even further.