Ham (Lean Leg)

Food · Protein · Food, Typed Supps

Genuinely lean — and still processed meat, with the salt to match.

Stage by stage

Digestion (Gastric proteolysis): Protein is broken down conventionally; ham supplies about 17 g per 100 g.
Absorption (Small intestine): Amino acids, thiamin, selenium and heme iron are absorbed as from any pork.
Sodium load (Extracellular fluid): Around 1,250 mg sodium per 100 g makes this a leading dietary sodium source.
Colonic exposure (Large intestine): N-nitroso compounds from nitrite curing reach the colon, as with any cured meat.

Timing

No timing effect. Frequency is what the evidence addresses — IARC frames its estimate per 50 g eaten daily.

Time to effect

Immediate: The sodium load acts the same day.
Years: Colorectal risk accrues with habitual intake.

Allergens

None of the fourteen major allergens. Derived from what this food is, not from a product label.

Eating patterns

Fits: Keto, Gluten-free. Depends on the product: Low-FODMAP.

Satiety

197 on the satiety index, where white bread is 100 — very high. Modelled from the Holt et al. (1995) measurements.

Environmental footprint

12.3 kg CO2e and 1796 litres of freshwater per kg, matched to "Pig meat" in Poore & Nemecek (2018), Science 360.

Cost band

Mid — roughly £9 per kg, as a band midpoint rather than a price.

Key nutrients

Protein
Sodium
Thiamin
Selenium

Nutrition per 100g

Calories: 112
Protein: 17g
Carbohydrate: 2g
of which sugars: 0.8g
Fat: 2.5g
of which saturated: 0.9g
Fibre: 1.8g
Sodium: 1250mg

Food vs. supplement

Fresh roast pork and cured ham differ in IARC category (2A versus 1) for one reason: curing. The animal and the cut can be identical.

Kitchen tip

If you eat ham regularly, reduced-salt versions address the component with the clearest near-term health relevance.

Common myth

“Ham is the healthy alternative to bacon.” In reality: It is genuinely much leaner — roughly 2.5 g fat per 100 g against bacon’s 37 g. But the processed-meat classification tracks curing, not fat, so ham carries it too, and its sodium is in the same league. Leaner, yes. Exempt, no.