It is well known that the main purpose of people eating meat is to intake protein. However, some elderly people may have teeth loss, difficulty chewing, and weakened gastrointestinal function, resulting in poor digestion of meat. In this case, for the sake of health, the elderly may consider eating pig's blood regularly.
Firstly, the high-quality protein content of pig's blood is comparable to that of pork, but without the disadvantage of containing a large amount of fat. Especially, the texture of pig's blood is soft, easy to chew, and easy to digest.
Secondly, the occurrence rate of anemia in people over 60 years old in China is very high, with recent survey results showing 21.5%. The iron in pig's blood is heme iron, not only has a higher content than any other food, but also is easily absorbed by the human body. Its absorption rate in the small intestine can reach 37%, which is equivalent to the absorption rate of the basic component (heme iron) of many commercially available iron supplements. Therefore, if the elderly consume an average of 20 grams of pig's blood daily, they can basically meet their iron needs and avoid or correct anemia.
Thirdly, pig's blood has the function of clearing dirt and promoting bowel movements. The plasma protein in pig's blood is digested and decomposed in the intestine. The undigested residue absorbs a large amount of water and also absorbs harmful substances in the intestine, such as metal particles and dust mixed in food, which are then converted into feces and excreted from the body. This not only avoids damage to the human body caused by these substances but also helps with bowel movements. Elderly people generally have symptoms of dry stools, and many people often take laxatives for this reason. Using pig's blood instead of laxatives not only has no toxic side effects but also helps with intestinal detoxification.
Therefore, elderly friends are encouraged to eat dishes made with pig's blood more often. Pig's blood stewed tofu, known as "red and white tofu" in Northeast China, has a reasonable nutritional combination and tastes good. Using pig's blood to make soup, stuffing it in buns or dumplings, making meatballs, the taste is not inferior to pork. Some people also mix pig's blood with glutinous rice to make porridge, which can be consumed every morning. These eating methods are worth recommending to the elderly. Since heme iron cannot be completely absorbed by the human body, the remaining part is transformed into a black color by the action of gastric acid and digestive enzymes, resulting in tar-like stools. This is a normal phenomenon and there is no need to worry.
