Turkey vs. Pork – Nutrition and Health Impact Comparison

Calories

Both of the meats are high-calorie foods. However, turkey provides fewer calories compared to pork.

A hundred grams serving of pork provides 242 calories; meanwhile, turkey meat provides 189 calories.

Protein

Both types of meat are almost equally high in protein: turkey meat contains 28.55g of protein, whereas pork contains 27.32g. 

Meat is an excellent source of protein in the diet. Turkey meat falls in the top 6% of foods as a source of this nutrient.

The difference between the amounts of essential amino acids is also minimal. That being said, surprisingly, pork is slightly higher in most essential amino acids than turkey meat.

Fats and Cholesterol

The fat content of pork is almost 2 times higher than that of turkey meat: turkey contains 7.4g of fats, while pork contains 13.9g.

Pork is much richer in monounsaturated and saturated fats, while turkey meat contains almost 2 times more polyunsaturated fats.

Fat Type Comparison

Fat type breakdown side-by-side comparison

Pork

1

Saturated Fat: Sat. Fat 5.23 g

Monounsaturated Fat: Mono. Fat 6.19 g

Polyunsaturated fat: Poly. Fat 1.2 g

Turkey meat

2

Saturated Fat: Sat. Fat 2.155 g

Monounsaturated Fat: Mono. Fat 2.647 g

Polyunsaturated fat: Poly. Fat 2.119 g

Contains more Mono. FatMonounsaturated Fat

+133.8%

Contains less Sat. FatSaturated Fat	-58.8%
Contains more Poly. FatPolyunsaturated fat	+76.6%

Pork is lower in cholesterol. A 100g serving of turkey and pork contains 109 and 80mg of cholesterol, respectively.

Carbohydrates

Like other types of meat, unprocessed turkey and pork contain no carbohydrates.

Cardiovascular Health

Section reviewed by cardiologist Astghik Grigoryan

The American Heart Association advises eating poultry, such as turkey, instead of red meats, such as pork. Red meat can increase your blood cholesterol and exacerbate underlying cardiovascular diseases as they include higher saturated fatty acids and trans fats (8).

Besides saturated fats, other compounds found in red meat that can increase the risk of cardiovascular risk are trimethylamine-N-oxide (TMAO), sodium, nitrates and their byproducts, and heme iron (9).

Eating turkey meat doesn’t increase or decrease the risk of heart disease. While there’s no maximum limit for how much poultry is safe to eat, it is not directly beneficial to heart health either (10).

Turkey meat is a good source of arginine. As with other amino acids, the body uses arginine to make new proteins. Arginine is also the raw material for making nitric oxide, which relaxes and opens arteries, lowering blood pressure (11).

Regular inclusion of lean fresh pork in the diet in place of other meats may improve body composition without increasing the risk of diabetes and cardiovascular disease. Body composition can be improved without energy restriction or apparent changes in physical activity levels, total meat, or protein intake (12).

In summary, choosing lean cuts of turkey over fatty cuts of pork may be more beneficial for cardiovascular health due to its lower fat content and higher levels of heart-healthy nutrients. It's important to consider portion sizes and cooking methods to minimize added fats and optimize heart health benefits.

Diabetes

Higher intakes of poultry were found to predict a reduced risk of type II diabetes. The prevention of type II diabetes might be aided by consuming certain foods (for example, green vegetables, fruits and berries, oil and margarine, and poultry) rich in nutrients with hypothesized health benefits (13).

A more detailed article about turkey meat and diabetes can be found on our “Turkey Meat and Diabetes” page.

The limited evidence suggests a possible negative impact of processed pork on glucose-insulin metabolism and a possible positive impact of pork intake on waist circumference and high-density lipoprotein or “good” cholesterol. Still, significant research gaps exist, preventing the drawing of definite conclusions (14).

Cancer

Turkey contains anti-cancer properties. It is a good source of trace mineral selenium, an essential component required for thyroid hormone metabolism, antioxidant defense systems, and immune function. Scientific studies have suggested that selenium intake can bring down cancer incidence. Turkey meat also contains tryptophan, which plays an essential role in strengthening the immune system (15).

Cardiovascular health

Unprocessed meat and poultry can be included in a heart-healthy eating pattern, but processed meat is not part of a heart-healthy eating pattern; it should be limited or avoided (16).

As mentioned above, red meat is high in cholesterol and saturated fats and, as a result, increases the risk for cardiovascular diseases such as heart attack and stroke.

Diabetes

Meats cooked at high temperatures increase the risk of developing type 2 diabetes or worsening the disease. A healthier way to cook meats is by avoiding high-heat or open-flame methods (grilling, barbecuing, broiling, and roasting) or having brief periods of high heat. Some of the healthy cooking methods at lower temperatures are baking, sous-vide, boiling, steaming, stewing, and stir-frying.

There was an increased risk of weight gain and developing obesity in the frequent users of high-temperature cooking methods (caused by disturbance of fat metabolism), which may contribute to the development of diabetes (17).

Cancer

Eating processed meat increases your risk of bowel, stomach, esophageal, and colorectal cancers. The World Health Organization has classified processed meats, in this case, pork, as a Group 1 carcinogen (known to cause cancer). There is also evidence of links with pancreatic, prostate, nasopharyngeal, and lung cancers (18,19, 20, 21).

Red Meat Allergy & Intolerance

Red meat intolerance manifests after red meat consumption, leading to bloating, abdominal pain, and diarrhea. Red meat allergy may also appear with similar symptoms; however, it’s a more serious condition involving the immune system.

To read a detailed article about red meat allergy and intolerance, you can visit our “Red Meat Allergy Symptoms: Alpha-gal Syndrome” and “Red Meat Intolerance: Symptoms and Causes” pages.