Rabbit meat: More sperm, healthy fat

 

It is a boring cold Saturday evening. Having been frustrated by power cuts as I watched TV, I opt for comfort under my blanket only to hear a knock at my door. 

 

It is Virginia, the university student next door. She is carrying a tray and I am instantly struck by the strong aroma. 

After two bites, my taste buds are convinced this is the tastiest chicken ever. But I am still a little confused because on the whole, the meat is more mouthwatering than chicken. As I nurse thoughts of having fallen prey to a love charm, she asks if I enjoyed the meal and adds that it was rabbit meat.

 

Rabbit meat is more than just a delicacy, nutritionists say. Muniirah Mbabazi, a nutritionist and lecturer at Makerere University School of Health Science, says rabbit meat is tastier than chicken.

 

“Rabbit is white meat, which means it is healthier. It nourishes the body with nutritional values like proteins, iron and phosphorus. its low-calorie content almost equates it to a balanced meal that meets the optimal health goals.” 

Compared to beef and pork, rabbit meat is relatively low on saturated fat. 

 

Jimmy Atuhaire, a dietician, adds that consuming high amounts of saturated fat subjects one to greater risks of coronary heart diseases due to its high cholesterol content.

 

“Additionally, eating rabbit meat adequately meets the body’s demands for protein, an important building block for essential muscle strength. With such strong muscles, the body generates more energy to build and maintain other tissue types, thereby helping increase metabolism,” Atuhaire notes. 

 

For one striving to drop weight, rabbit meat, supplemented with any food low in carbohydrates like greens, is ideal, he adds. 

Muniirah asserts that: “Rabbit meat contains selenium, a mineral the body uses to make antioxidants and stimulate sperm production, with each portion containing 46.8% of the recommended daily value of selenium.

 

This sperm stimulation is boosted by a vitamin commonly known as niacin, which converts carbohydrates to energy, thereby manufacturing a variety of sex hormones. Selenium also guards against hardening of the arteries, as well as cancers such as stomach, lung, prostate and skin cancer.” 

 

Other benefits include brain development — the reason it is recommended for the young and old. Secondly, it is good for a healthy skin. 

 

Breaks down the pieces, similar to chicken quarters; after which, bake, roast, or fry just like you would chicken. Fry the meat for about 10 minutes. 

 

However, unlike chicken, if one chooses to fry rabbit meat, there is no need for using additional cooking oil since it already has enough fats. Adding more oil, therefore, masks the health effects that can be derived from the meat’s fats. 

 

This method of preparation entails simmering the meat for not less than one hour so as to yield tender and soft meat.   One can also boil the meat or have it grilled.