Tripe commonly known to Kenyans as matumbo is an organ meat, found in the stomach of ruminant animals like cows, goats, sheep, and pigs.
Ruminant animals have several compartments in their stomachs to help digest their food. The muscle tissue found between these compartments is what is known as tripe.
Many cultures across the continent include tripe in their meals as it is a healthy source of protein and other nutrients. Most times, it is eaten in soups, stews, sauced foods, and sausages.
Moreover, tripe is usually heavily spiced and combined with other flavorful foods because of its distinctive scent and mild flavor.
However, nutritionists advise consuming tripe in moderate amounts due to its high calorie content.
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Nutrients in Tripe
The Kenya Times spoke to Wendy Okello a nutritionist working with Carrefour on the nutritional value of tripe.
According to Okello, tripe is nutritional, hence clearing the air about the notion that beef-stripes are useless to the body.
In addition, Miss Okello stated that the main nutrients found in tripe include proteins, zinc, selenium, and vitamin B12.
She further added that tripe is a good antioxidant because of selenium. Despite having a nutritional value, the nutritionist advised against eating too much tripe.
“Tripe has nutritional value, but people should it in moderate amounts because it is full of cholesterol,” Wendy Okello a nutritionist noted
Tripe is loaded with protein, selenium, vitamin B12 and zinc, among other important micronutrients.
Nutritionists explain that 100 grams of cooked matumbo contain 94 calories, 2grams carbohydrates, 11.7 grams protein, 4.1 grams fat, 11.8 micrograms selenium, 0.7 micrograms vitamin B12, and 1.7 milligrams Zinc.
It also contains 81 milligrams calcium, 66 milligrams phosphorus, 0.1 milligrams manganese, 0.7 milligrams iron, and 15 milligrams magnesium.
Reason to Moderate Your Matumbo Consumption
Generally, tripe or matumbo is a good source of protein, vitamins, and minerals. However, it comes with a few risks if too much is eaten.
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Likewise, tripe comes with the potential risk of contamination with harmful bacteria or parasites. As such, you may consider the following risks before adding tripe to your diet:
High Cholesterol
The body needs cholesterol to build healthy cells, however, high levels of cholesterol can cause other health problems including heart diseases.
Matumbo contains high levels of dietary cholesterol compared to other cuts of meat. For instance, a single three-ounce serving can contain up to 108 milligrams of cholesterol.
This amount of cholesterol is about a third of the recommended overall cholesterol requirement per day.
Moreover, with high cholesterol, your body may develop fatty deposits in the blood vessels and as a result blocking efficient blood flow through the arteries.
These deposits may at times break abruptly and form a clot causing a stroke or cardiac arrest.
While many bodies can process dietary cholesterol safely, some people react more strongly to this form of cholesterol.
Nonetheless, nutritionists advise anyone with high cholesterol to consult a doctor before adding tripe to their diets.
Beef-Tripe is Takes Longer to Digest
The elastic in matumbo is more difficult for the digestive system to break down as compared to muscle meat. This means the body needs to work extra hard to extract nutrients from tripe than lean meat.
