Pork Loin Health Benefits and Nutrition Facts

Nutritional summary

Pork loin is the leanest cut of pork and aligns with institutional dietary guidelines for lean protein consumption .
Clinical trials have shown that when lean pork is included in a healthy dietary pattern, there are null or even inverse associations with various metabolic risk factors .
Fresh pork loin serves as a cost-effective source of high-quality protein and essential micronutrients within sustainable dietary patterns .
While fresh pork loin is a lean whole food, processed versions such as pork loin rolls may contain nitrite salts or undergo smoking and fermentation, which changes their nutritional profile compared to fresh cuts .

Interesting fact

Despite being categorized as 'red meat' by the USDA, the culinary industry often marketed pork loin as 'the other white meat' due to its pale color and lean profile when cooked.

Standout nutrients

EPIC

SOURCE

Thiamin (Vitamin B1)

SUPER

SOURCE

Niacin

ELITE

SOURCE

Protein

ACE

SOURCE

Vitamin B6

173

kcal per 100g

Protein21.8g

Fat8.49g

Carbs0.04g

Fat breakdown

Polyunsat0.70g

Monounsat3.74g

Saturated3.34g

Trans0.05g

Seasonality

Not available

Diet

Gluten FreeDairy FreeKetoLow FodmapPaleo

Sustainability

Moderate

Pork generally has a lower carbon footprint than beef or lamb but higher than poultry or plant proteins.

Confidencehigh

Storage

Refrigerate

3–5 days

Keep in original packaging or a sealed container

Freeze

6–12 months

Wrap tightly to prevent freezer burn

Flavour

Data & Sources

Harmonized from 2 validated sources

French Food Database

2 contributing source foods

McCance & Widdowson

1 contributing source food

Claim citations

Pork Meat Composition and Health: A Review of the Evidence - PMC

[1]pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Table 50, Evidence examining the relationship between red meat compared to plant sources of protein in adults and older adults and risk of cardiovascular diseasea - Food Sources of Saturated Fat and Risk of Cardiovascular Disease: A Systematic Review - NCBI Bookshelf

[10]www.ncbi.nlm.nih.govncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Fresh Pork as Protein Source in the USDA Thrifty Food Plan 2021: A Modeling Analysis of Lowest-Cost Healthy Diets - PMC

[11]pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Coverage

Nutrients

FoodCompass

59.0

Version

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