Until now, in all studies conducted by specialists from different countries, which examined the effect of meat on the functioning of the human body, this product was found to be harmful. He was accused of disrupting the functioning of the cardiovascular system, the development of cancer and a number of other diseases. Scientists recently conducted a new study that found a link between meat consumption and negative consequences associated with kidney disease.
A team of researchers from Indiana University spent several years studying the effects of many chemical compounds found in meat on kidney function. Thus, experts have found the following: people whose medical history has already noted certain diseases of this organ are much more likely to encounter complications during the course of the disease. Those who are just included in the “risk group” will definitely face the development of diseases. As experts note, attacks of renal colic are also a consequence of a love of meat.
The study authors emphasize that eating red meat fried in oil has a particularly negative impact on kidney health: the frequency of the presence of such dishes in the diet determines the likelihood of developing kidney stones, as well as susceptibility to the development of kidney diseases.
In connection with the results of a new study, scientists once again persistently call for abandoning excessive consumption of meat or adhering to a “moderate vegetarian” diet.
Many people are increasingly becoming concerned about the question of not only life expectancy, but also how to stay healthy for as long as possible? Observing the previous generation, it is easy to notice that parents were often healthier than their children at the same age. Nowadays, even ten-year-old children are diagnosed with malignant neoplasms, while only a few decades ago, this disease was encountered mainly by older people. More and more doctors are saying that you need to eat right to be healthy.
Back in the 19th century, meat products were consumed mainly in winter and quite infrequently - no more than 2 times a week (in the average poor family). At that time there were no refrigerators, and carcasses of animals, birds and fish could only be stored in the cellar and in the cold in ice, otherwise they would spoil quite quickly even when salted. Moreover, observing all fasts on Wednesdays, Fridays and throughout the year significantly reduced the amount of meat dishes in a simple Orthodox family. According to rough estimates, about 220 days in Russia are fast days. You can read more about the history of vegetarianism in this article. Nowadays, with the advent of refrigerators and freezers, the question of preserving meat is no longer an issue, and the volume of consumed meat products has increased significantly.
However, modern irrefutable scientific research is increasingly forcing us to radically change our attitude towards meat food. It turned out that the main cause of death after smoking and alcoholism is eating meat rich in fats and cholesterol, which the human body cannot cope with.
214 scientists in 23 different countries agreed that there is a direct relationship between the consumption of meat and meat products and blood cholesterol levels and cardiovascular disease. Excess cholesterol, as a fatty, sticky, curd-like mass, accumulates on the walls of blood vessels, atrophying them and significantly narrowing them, which causes increased blood pressure, cardiovascular failure, and, as a result, strokes and heart attacks. At the same time, brilliant scientists at the University of Milan have proven, based on numerous studies, that protein of plant origin significantly reduces cholesterol levels in the blood and blood vessels.
Moreover, according to studies over the past few years, it has been found that eating meat causes cancer of the colon, mammary glands and uterus.
One of the main reasons, according to scientists and doctors, is that the human digestive tract, due to its physiological characteristics, is not capable of digesting meat. It is much longer than that of carnivorous animals and has a higher pH level, similar to the acidity level of the stomach and intestines of herbivores. The long human intestine is not able to digest meat food, which rots inside the body for a long time, polluting the entire body through the blood with cadaveric poisons, toxins and waste. If an adult has never cleansed his intestines and liver in his entire life, most likely, approximately 1/3 of his weight will be waste and toxins archived in fatty and connective tissues, as well as feces. Toxins disrupt the functioning of the kidneys and liver and provoke the occurrence of gout, tumors, arthritis, arthrosis and numerous other diseases.
In addition, animals destined for slaughter are fed various tranquilizers, growth hormones, antibiotics and more than 2,700 different chemical additives solely to increase profits. At the moment of slaughter, animals release so-called hormones of death and aggression into the blood, which not only are not destroyed during heat treatment - when they enter the human body, they are activated and turn on the program of self-destruction of the human body and psyche. It is no coincidence that scientists have noticed the fact that people who eat meat are much more susceptible to stress and aggression than vegetarians. This is easy to notice even in the example of representatives of Caucasian nationality, which prides itself on its temperament and passion.
After killing, animal carcasses are pierced with syringes containing various preservatives, nitrites, nitrates and dyes to extend shelf life and improve the presentation of the product. An ordinary piece of meat on the counter will already acquire a disgusting greenish color and putrid odor on the third day, but now processed meat can be stored at room temperature for a week. In appearance, it will only dry out, but the unnatural pink color will remain.
It has long been no secret that, as a result of biochemical processes, nitrites and nitrates turn into N-nitroso compounds, which contribute to the formation of various oncological diseases, but no one sounds the alarm about this.
Unfortunately, most people continue to consume not only poisoned meat, but also meat products and semi-finished products that are very vaguely reminiscent of meat in composition. Soy is known to cause infertility in cats and dogs, but it is added uncontrollably to human food due to its meaty taste. Soy in huge quantities (more than 80%) is contained not only in dumplings, sausages, sausages and animal feed, but also in tofu cheese, candies and sweets. You yourself can easily continue this list if you carefully read the package labels. In addition to soy, semi-finished products are processed with various sterilizing chemicals, dyes and flavor and weight enhancers.
Those who consume such products, against their will, become like a chemical laboratory. Many European countries are already faced with the problem that human remains do not decompose within 50 years due to excessive use of preservatives during life, and cemeteries have to be moved to new places, essentially taking away land from living people.
Currently, based on numerous irrefutable studies, not only the American, but also the Russian Academy of Sciences have reported that by eliminating the consumption of meat and meat products and replacing them with raw fruits, vegetables and grains, many cancers can be avoided.
If earlier, 20 years ago, it was believed that for health a person needed to consume 150 grams of protein per day, today the official norm is 45 grams. Moreover, its excessive consumption provokes the occurrence of most serious diseases. You can easily get 45 grams of protein from the real thing! cheese, cereals, beans, nuts, vegetables and fruits. For example, peanuts have more protein than sausages and steak.
More recently, scientists from Sweden and Germany have debunked the main myth about the vegetarian diet, which is that plant foods lack 8 essential amino acids. All of them have been found in many vegetables, fruits, seeds, nuts and grains. Pine nuts and spirulina (microalgae) turned out to be especially rich in essential, easily digestible amino acids. This is not surprising, because proteins contain the same amino acids that herbivores use to build their bodies. I would like to note that herbivores are the largest animals on earth (elephants, buffalos, bison and even whales that feed on plankton).
The protein variety of plant foods is much wider than that of meat, because health recommendations from many doctors and nutritionists increasingly include advice on switching to vegetarianism, not only for medicinal and preventive purposes, but also as a permanent form of nutrition.
The effect of meat consumption on the attractiveness of body odor
The smell of our armpits is an individually specific and potentially rich source of information about ourselves. This individuality is partly determined genetically, but the influence of other environmental factors such as dietary habits are another important source of odor variability.
However, we know little about how certain dietary components shape our body odor. In the study, we will examine the effect of red meat consumption on overall body odor attractiveness. Body odor samples were taken from 17 men, both meat eaters and non-meat eaters, after 2 weeks of diet using special swabs on the last day of the experiment. Fresh samples were rated for pleasantness, attractiveness, masculinity and intensity by 30 women not using hormonal contraceptives.
We repeated this procedure a month later with the same donors, only now the men swapped their diets with each other. Repeated measures results showed that odors on the meat-free diet were rated as more attractive, pleasant, and less intense. This tells us that eating meat negatively affects women's perception of male body odor.
In particular, in writing this article, materials from the candidate of medical sciences, T.S. Ilyicheva were used.
The debate about whether meat is healthy or harmful seems to never end. As soon as meat lovers declare that without consuming this product a person cannot fully exist, they are immediately countered by vegetarians who claim that meat is the main cause of almost all our diseases. Which side should you take on this issue? Is it possible to live without meat and what are the consequences of its excessive consumption?
Among the main advantages of meat- its taste characteristics. Of course, meat dishes are some of the most delicious; it is not for nothing that no feast is complete without them. On the other hand, spices and sauces give the meat such a taste - unseasoned meat itself is not nearly as tasty.
Meat contains protein, amino acids, minerals, and vitamins. One of the arguments in favor of eating meat is the prevention of anemia due to its iron content.
However, meat does not contain other components important for our body. So, it does not contain fiber, which helps normalize the functioning of the gastrointestinal tract - that is why meat is hard to digest, and the body has to spend a lot of energy processing it. But this same energy is not present in meat - it does not contain carbohydrates. But it contains more than enough heavy fats and cholesterol!
The discoveries of scientists in recent years also do not please meat lovers. One by one, studies are being conducted, the results of which are disappointing: eating meat is the cause of many serious diseases, including asthma, diabetes and cancer, problems with the cardiovascular system and joints (arthritis, osteoporosis). And in the list of causes of early mortality, meat ranks third after smoking and!
Excessive consumption of meat is fraught with constant rotting processes in the intestines. At the same time, the liver and kidneys begin to work hard to neutralize toxins resulting from putrefactive processes. This, in turn, leads to disruption of the functioning of these important organs.
Harm from meat significantly enhanced by modern methods of its processing. Various hormones to enhance the growth of livestock and poultry, feed saturated with nitrates and pesticides, cruel conditions for slaughtering animals, chemicals to give meat a beautiful color - all this practically leaves no useful substances in the meat, exacerbating its harmful properties.
If previously it was believed that for a person to fully live, it is necessary to consume 150 g of protein per day, then modern nutritionists do not recommend exceeding the norm of 45 g. Moreover, if earlier it was believed that it should be both animal and vegetable proteins, now experts in the field of nutrition They claim that the body’s need for protein can be completely satisfied by eating exclusively plant foods.
Of course, it is impossible to force absolutely all people to stop eating meat. After all, while for some it is quite simple to do this, others simply cannot imagine their life without this product. Besides, completely eliminating meat from your diet can also lead to health problems. True vegetarians face a lack of vitamins D and B2, a number of important amino acids. Nervous system disorders, impotence, fragility of bone tissue - these are the consequences of a complete refusal to eat meat products. Vegetarianism in childhood and during puberty is also unacceptable. Therefore, it is so important to find a middle ground in this matter.
What to do? How can you not harm your health and satisfy your needs?
First of all, it is worth remembering the main rule of healthy eating: you need to eat a balanced diet. If your daily diet, in addition to meat, contains vegetables and fruits, grains, nuts, and legumes in sufficient quantities, the harm from meat will be significantly reduced, and it will be easier for the body to process and absorb it.
In no case should you exceed the prescribed amount of meat consumption. Even the most notorious meat eaters are recommended to have a “fasting” day without meat once or twice a week.
If we talk about what meat is the most harmful, then this is, first of all, mammalian meat: beef, pork, lamb. Less harmful is poultry meat, especially white meat (chicken fillet), as well as offal. Fish meat is practically devoid of harmful properties. Try to give preference to less harmful types of meat.
Pay special attention to the choice of meat and its preparation. Buy only fresh meat, if possible - environmentally friendly. In this regard, of course, it is good for those people who maintain their own households - alas, not everyone can afford such a luxury.
Before preparing a dish using meat, soak it in cold water for an hour. The first meat broth should never be used - it must be drained. Meat can be boiled, stewed, cooked on a grill (this category can also be included) or baked, but in no case should it be fried or smoked. Do not overuse seasonings in meat dishes.
It is very important to combine meat with other products, which can enhance or, conversely, weaken its harmful properties. Thus, it is extremely undesirable to eat meat with vegetables containing starch (potatoes, pumpkin, corn, radish, squash). It is preferable to take fresh herbs (lettuce, parsley, sorrel, dill), cucumbers, cabbage, green beans, and onions as a side dish for meat. Green vegetables act as a good iron inhibitor, which will allow you to get the maximum benefit from eating meat.
To eat or not to eat meat, and if there is, what kind and in what quantities, is, of course, up to each of us to decide. We have only given information for thought - perhaps after reading it, someone will decide to change their lifestyle and approach to nutrition.
Harm of meat to the human body. You will learn the health risks of consuming meat products. But you can also open your eyes to the colossal harm that people have on the planet as a whole by eating a piece of meat every day.
So that you have a complete picture, which can literally open your eyes.
Yes, we are used to eating meat. Yes, our entire circle of friends and loved ones cannot imagine their lives without meat products. This is the norm in the society in which we find ourselves.
But this in no way cancels the extreme harm that meat food causes to the human body.
You will find both a lot of “understandable” (and, as it turns out, not at all understandable) problems known to everyone, as well as quite a lot of surprises. We are used to people getting sick, we are used to what they get sick with. And this too considered normal. Or rather familiar.
What an amazingly designed person! How quickly and easily he gets used to what he sees around him and to what those around him are doing. He absorbs everything. He doesn't need any proof or confirmation. Nothing! Everyone is doing it - and I will do it! And this will become my truth.
- And why?
- Because it’s been accepted for a long time, and everyone does it. Stop asking stupid questions.
Fine. Nobody forces anyone. I just want to bring you the facts. Eat what you want, it will just be logical and reasonable if you finally know WHAT you are eating. And also, what happens when you eat it.
You won't be surprised by the answers, but what may surprise you is that the answer was meat.
Each of us has a choice.
And food is no exception. We decide for ourselves what to eat and what not to eat for one reason or another. But it is important that this choice is conscious!
I ate meat for many years. But was it my choice? What did I know about meat products other than that everyone I know eats them? Nothing. Therefore, I once decided to learn more about the effects of animal food on the body. I had no intention of giving up meat, I just wanted to learn more.
- - a film about the impact of mass consumption of meat products on life on Earth
So that the choice is truly mine. So that it is my conscious decision whether to eat meat or not. And not just an unconscious mechanical action, not based on anything other than the same unconscious mechanical actions around.
Here is a quote from it:
“The deadly statistics obtained by Harvard doctors perfectly illustrate the hidden work of evolution, which meat-eaters are not aware of: if 3 million years ago the “malarial” mutation and the consumption of red meat contributed to the emergence of our species, in the future, if humanity insists on increasing average life spans Homo sapiens, there will be a negative selection of lovers of steaks. The latter will simply die out."
Can you imagine, almost everyone?
How is this even possible!?
Do you think this is normal? Do you really think that the human body is designed in such a way that it is necessary to have some kind of cardiovascular disease in old age? Well, it's a nightmare, of course, if that's the case.
Cardiovascular diseases are directly related to consumption of meat products.
This is not a cold that everyone has had at least once. These diseases have clear causes.
For example, coronary heart disease. A terrible disease. Considered incurable. One of the main causes of coronary heart disease is cholesterol plaques – fatty deposits on the walls of blood vessels. Is there any point in talking about sources of cholesterol? Of course, meat.
There are drugs that help dilate blood vessels and improve blood flow. This is just treating the symptoms. But not eliminating the causes. We take medications and thin the blood. But nature has thought of everything. And blood in a healthy body has the required viscosity and does not need to be diluted at all.
But no, we eat meat, and then we take drugs to dilate blood vessels and thin the blood.
Is it really easier than just stopping eating something that is really dangerous to your health?!
Meat products contain an infinite amount of fat and mountains of cholesterol. By eating meat, you turn your blood vessels into a garbage dump, a fatty cholesterol dump. If blood gets stuck in this garbage for even a second, it will be a disaster for the brain. The consequences may be irreversible.
Now don't say you didn't know this. Now it is your conscious choice. It was you who made the decision - to kill your body with harmful meat foods and prevent blood from moving smoothly through the vessels. There is no one to blame. Only you.
But, for example, in China, in one of the regions where people eat mainly plant foods, not a single person died from cardiovascular diseases!
Do you know how many people were analyzed in a scientific study? One hundred thousand! And not a single case of death from heart and vascular diseases! No one!
What else is needed?!
Risk of developing cardiovascular disease after switching to a vegetarian diet reduced by more than 90%!
Why is this so? In addition to the harm directly to the meat itself, there is something else.
- Every animal contains waste products that are regularly excreted from the body. At the moment of killing the animal everything that doesn't come out remains, and you eat it successfully. These are harmful, toxic substances. This time.
- Processing of meat products with chemicals. The list of carcinogens is truly enormous. You don't think that the meat is actually the red color you see on store shelves. The meat is an unpleasant gray color, especially considering the time it has been lying around since it was killed.
- Animals get sick. So that they don't get sick massively stuffed with drugs, antibiotics. That is, you eat the meat of either a sick animal or one loaded with chemicals and antibiotics. No other way. Growth hormones and other chemicals to accelerate growth. After all, time is money. The faster an animal grows, the faster it can be turned into a meat product and sold.
The harm from meat is enormous. In highly developed countries, many doctors have already come to realize this fact.
And very often it is the patient's transition to a vegetarian diet was the only possible way to recovery. But the process will be slowed down, because in the meat industry there are sums with so many zeros that you can’t even imagine.
In modern civilized society, cardiovascular diseases are at the forefront first place among causes of death.
Today there are thousands of examples of life transformation and dramatic improvement in the health of people who give up meat.
2. The harm of eating meat and the development of cancer.
Everything I said above also has a direct bearing on the risk of getting cancer.
How many people in Russia do you think die from cancer every month?
25 thousand! That's 300 thousand people a year!
Breast cancer is very common among the female half of the population. And this is not surprising. After all meat contains a huge amount of hormones, extremely dangerous for humans. A woman's hormonal balance is disrupted and this can become an impetus for the development of cancer.
Many other types of cancer are caused by excessively high amount of protein, which we get in animal food.
All chemistry, drugs, antibiotics - all these are the causes of cancer. You regularly take antibiotics, have you ever thought about it? By the way, as many doctors believe, this may become a problem in the future when treating cancer tumors with antibiotics. Why? Because during this time the body can become resistant to their effects.
By the way, the substance that slows down the decomposition of meat and changes its color to an attractive one is called sodium nitrate. Recent studies have proven a direct relationship between the use of this substance and human colon cancer.
The harm of meat to the human body is not limited to this.
3. Diabetes.
The disease is very common, and the number of cases is growing at a breakneck pace.
Diabetes is already being diagnosed even in children! There are many studies that proves the connection between diabetes and meat consumption. This applies to type 2 diabetes.
Excessive amounts of fat lead to the fact that cells become insensitive to naturally produced insulin, as they are located in the so-called fatty membrane. That is, insulin simply cannot reach the cells.
Switching to a diet without meat products solves this problem.
In the world, probably to a greater extent in the USA, there is a huge amount of practical evidence when people were cured of complex diseases by switching to a plant-based diet. The results are simply incredible and completely unexpected.
Read the literature, search the Internet for works by famous health experts on the topic of nutrition. There is a lot of work, the results are amazing. I am talking primarily about foreign specialists. Everything is coming to us very slowly. We are very inert and afraid of everything new. Stereotypes control our minds.
We need absolute results that are widely accepted by the masses (and this will not happen soon, because, as I said above, livestock farming is a very profitable business). Only then will we very boldly and slowly accept new knowledge. For now, we are very, very far from this. But the results are already there, you just have to look. But you won't hear about them on government channels.
4. Excess weight.
But the harm of meat is not limited to diseases. Everything written above is also a cause of obesity. Cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, and cancer can cause obesity, just as obesity causes these diseases. A vicious circle, from which there is only one way to get out - stop eating meat.
5. Meat and alcohol.
This is a lethal mixture. You can't even imagine how much. The harm of meat when interacting with alcohol increases significantly.
Beer, for example, contains secondary amines that interact very successfully with nitrites in meat. This reaction produces substances called nitrosamines.
So, during testing of these substances on experimental animals, all of them were affected by tumors within six months. Cancer was everywhere, in almost every organ. And this is what you like to drink on Fridays and Saturdays, taking a break from a hard work week.
No, well, that’s also a way out. If life is so difficult, it is better to leave it early.
The harm of meat is not limited to the effects on the human body.
Eating meat can cause global problems.
1. Global warming.
Yes, eating animal foods causes global warming. At the very beginning of the article, I recommended a film that is simply a must-see. For your development, to look at familiar things from a different perspective. Be sure to check it out, you won’t regret it.
Did you know that Greenhouse gas emissions from animal activities exceed the emissions of all cars on the planet.
All cars! The entire planet Earth!
The harm to the atmosphere from the activities of livestock farms that supply meat to the table of an insatiable person cannot be described in words! This is a global catastrophe! But we don't even know about it! Simply phenomenal!
2. Destruction of forests.
There are not enough fields for raising livestock and, as a result, forests are being cut down. Ecosystems are being destroyed and carbon dioxide emissions are increasing. The clearing areas are enormous. And all in order to feed and breed livestock, which is needed more and more, because the world’s population is constantly increasing.
And what kind of situation awaits us in the future? A rhetorical question.
But in nature everything is thought out. Everything is in abundance. Look here. How many apples will grow from one seed? Thousands. How many of these grains are in one apple? That is, one apple becomes the source of many thousands more apples (the example of apples is for clarity). This is how it is in everything in nature.
How many “fruits” does a cow produce? 1 calf. Then another one. Well, several in my entire life. That is, the efficiency cannot be compared with plants. What costs and efforts are required to keep cows? And what ends up being a piece of meat for which we are cutting down forests, freeing up thousands of hectares of land for new livestock farms and pastures, and slowly killing the planet.
This is the road to nowhere!
What huge areas are being cut down to plant crops for livestock feed. Billions of people on Earth are starving, and we cut down forests to feed the animals we eat. What nonsense?!
What costs and efforts are needed to grow a thousand apples? Answer for yourself. A cow gives one cow. An apple produces a thousand apples. 1 in 1000.
Maybe we're doing something wrong? It’s not for nothing that everything works the way it does. Everything is thought out. There should be enough space for everyone and enough food too. We just chose the wrong food.
Switching to plant-based food puts everything in its place. The benefits of a vegetarian diet are undeniable. Then there will be no need to cut down forests, there will be more than enough space as it is. It will be possible to plant new ones calmly and not have to torture the atmosphere, because we still need it to live.
3. Water
There are such statistics. To obtain 1 kg beef must be spent 208,000 liters of water!
How do you like this number?!
By the way, the same apple tree will grow without your participation - rain and sun will be enough for it.
4. Species extinction.
To increase the number of future meat products, entire ecosystems and the usual habitats of many, many animals are destroyed, which can lead to the complete disappearance of their species. Forever. Just because you wanted meat!
5. Soil
The top layer of soil, which is fertile, is washed away and destroyed under the influence of both waste from livestock farming and associated chemicals that are intensively used.
Yes, that’s it, it’s good to write already.
Everything is already clear. Meat products and their consumption- this is the road to hell that a person makes for himself. The harm of animal food is obvious and beyond doubt. Maybe that’s why humanity is already looking into space in the hope of escaping from here somewhere far away. We have almost destroyed this planet, the job is practically done.
We do not know how to live in harmony either with ourselves, destroying our own organism, or with the outside world, killing animals and destroying the ecosystem.
And the worst thing is that we don’t even understand this, we don’t see it and don’t want to change, but on the contrary, we teach others how to live “correctly”. You don't have to be too educated to understand that this path will lead us to destruction.
And one more point.
Spiritual development and meat consumption.
It was this point that once became the starting point for me. It's like exercising seriously and smoking regularly. One way or another, you will have to give up one or the other. Smoking is clearly unnecessary here. And if you decide to become an athlete, then you quit smoking, you just have to do it. Otherwise, what kind of athlete are you?
So is spiritual development and animal food. Either one or the other. When I began to practice meditation, when I embarked on the path of spiritual development, then at some point along this path I noticed something preventing me from fully immersing myself in this process.
It seemed to me that I was not sincere with myself and God.
And I understood what was going on. I cannot grow in my faith and my spiritual awareness while I eat meat.
The puzzle in my head did not fit; there was no question of any internal harmony.
As you engage in spiritual practices, the awareness of unity with the entire world around you comes more and more often. And at these moments you begin to feel this mistake very deeply within yourself. You really feel that something is wrong here.
Gradually, through reflection and further practice, a clear conviction comes: “I cannot be a harmonious part of a single world if I am a participant in gross and causeless destruction 70 billion animals in year!».
After this, what kind of faith in God can we talk about, what kind of spiritual growth. This is hypocrisy, but not sincere faith. I cannot feel part of this wonderful world until I renounce the mass destruction of life.
By giving up meat, everything falls into place, and we can reach a new level of our spiritual development and perception of the world. We will be able to open up to new sensations of the subtle vibrations of the world within ourselves and around us. We can finally see what it is the same vibrations that we are all one!
By consuming meat products, full spiritual development is impossible. As Leo Tolstoy said, if we eat meat, our stomach turns into an animal cemetery.” After all, this is so.
For your information:
“The World Health Organization has classified processed meat as one of the highest carcinogenic categories (on par with plutonium and asbestos).”
I made my choice. And for a very long time now.
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Many ignorant people associate a vegetarian diet with constant self-restraint, an everlasting feeling of hunger, a lack of vitamins, nutrients and general psychological impoverishment. To understand the fallacy of such judgments, it is enough to understand what exactly meat products bring to the diet. Are they really necessary or, on the contrary, do they destroy internal organs, undermining health from the inside? What else, besides moral aspects and humanity, makes people give up meat, and what benefits does such a decision bring to their lives?
Harm of meat to the human body from a physiological point of view
To understand the harmful effects of meat products on humans, just look at the page of the biology atlas on the structure of living organisms. All predators, whose digestive tract is adapted to digesting this type of food, have a short esophagus with an acidic environment inside. This feature helps prevent rotting of the flesh inside the gastrointestinal tract: the short length of the digestive tract speeds up passage, and the acidic environment helps animal products to break down and digest.
Humans, on the contrary, have an extremely long esophagus, and the acidity is not as active as in meat-eating animals. Therefore, people are physically unable to digest and assimilate meat products: the absolute maximum that can be assimilated under such conditions is 60% of the total amount eaten. And the remaining part rots inside the esophagus, polluting the body and leading to health problems.
Moreover, the main harmful meat to the body It is not immediately noticeable: in addition to external obesity, there is also internal obesity, which is much more dangerous. Such an imbalance will sooner or later lead to a total failure of the organs and cause serious impairments in functionality. You should not assume that only the gastrointestinal tract will be affected: the cardiovascular, genitourinary, immune and other systems responsible for normal life are affected. It is enough to stick to a vegetarian diet for a couple of weeks, and you yourself will notice how the excess weight will begin to go away, shortness of breath will become less pronounced, your pulse will jump less and less, and your blood pressure will no longer go through the roof. This will be the best proof that nature has not laid a predatory principle in man, and for food he does not need to kill anyone at all.
Harmful meat: scientific facts and chemical composition
The main harmful effect of meat lies in its composition. Moreover, not only difficult-to-digest nutrients are the reason for this, but also the so-called consequences of the development of the meat industry. They stuff animals with whatever they can for financial gain! The most complex pharmaceuticals, special food additives, dietary supplements for animals are used, which help to increase weight and give it certain taste qualities - softness, special texture and even smell. In fact, the unfortunate animal lives its short life in “chemical laboratories”, where experiments are constantly performed on it in order to “improve growth”, and then it is killed and sent to the table of people who do not even try to think about what they put in their mouths. Has nature prepared such a fate for them?
The dangers of meat are more than clearly confirmed by scientific facts. Let's look point by point at what the main danger of such a diet is.
Meat products and morbidity
The number of scientific studies that confirm the influence of nutritional characteristics on the occurrence of diseases is increasing every year. It has long been proven that meat products contribute to the development of cancer. Heterocyclic amines, which are formed in fried, baked fillets, are carcinogens that directly affect cellular synthesis. They are considered the first cause of cancer manifestations in cells. Moreover, in this case we are talking not only about red meat, but also about dietary white meat, and even about fish - any product of animal origin, when cooked, is saturated to one degree or another with these toxic substances.
Another companion to the meat diet is Alzheimer's disease. Homocysteine, which appears during the breakdown of animal proteins, almost doubles the risk of this disorder. In this case, we are also talking not only about meat, but also about all animal proteins.
But perhaps the most common harm from meat for the human body is in cardiovascular pathologies. “Wrong” cholesterol, which enters the body in most cases from meat dishes, increases blood clot formation, clogs blood vessels, and thickens the blood. These complications subsequently lead to heart attacks, strokes and even death. Moreover, it is very difficult to reduce blood cholesterol; Once the disease has started, it cannot be cured with the right diet: drug therapy will be required, and in particularly difficult cases, surgical intervention.
So why have articles recently appeared on the Internet more and more often stating that meat is harmless and previous studies are erroneous? The answer is banal and predictable: . The meat industry corporation means billions of dollars of profit obtained at the cost of animal lives and human health. Promoting vegetarianism and educating people is gradually reducing the need for meat products, which means sales are also declining.
The research confirms the dangers of meat quite convincingly: their sample consists of thousands of people, and the study itself is carried out under the guidance of serious scientific centers with a well-deserved reputation and a staff of employees respected in scientific circles. In contrast to this, it is proposed to believe articles that you will not find anywhere except the Internet. Such false data is usually distributed in cheap “yellow” journals and the Internet: no self-respecting scientific editorial office would even allow the publication of dubious data. In addition, none of the refutation studies contains clear coordinates: the time and place of the conduct, the responsible institution, the board of scientists who controlled the experiments. Some arrogant pseudo-journalists use false data: by typing the name of an institute or the name of a scientist into a search engine, you will understand that they were made up. However, in most cases they still manage without specifics. Such articles are designed to convince people of utter absurdity - that they cannot live without meat! Moreover, the cost of publications, even in millions of copies, cannot be compared with the amount of profit from potential buyers.
Harm from meat: hormonal study
The math is quite simple: the more weight an animal gains in a short period of time, the more profit it will make. Moreover, no one thinks about the health of this animal: in any case, it will not live a long life, so representatives of enterprises need to optimize the process as much as possible. From birth until slaughter, the animal is fed thyroid hormones from the thyroid gland, which are responsible for weight gain. In addition, sex hormones are used - this accelerates the growth of the animal and makes the meat especially soft.
The structure of hormonal drugs is identical to that taken by people with diseases. However, it would never even occur to anyone to drink them just like that: even people ignorant of medicine know that hormone-based drugs are quite dangerous and are considered one of the extreme measures of drug therapy. Such substances regulate the functioning of the entire body, so they should be taken in strictly limited quantities and only under the supervision of a doctor. But the juicy steak you eat for lunch contains no less hormones! Receiving them daily with food, the animal accumulates and deposits these substances, which simply do not have time to be excreted, because the intake is carried out regularly. Therefore, eating meat products sooner or later causes a disruption in one’s own hormonal levels, which, in turn, leads to thyroid diseases, morbid obesity, infertility and other defects.
Antibiotics in the meat industry
As well as hormonal supplements, antibiotics have recently become a permanent companion of livestock farming. The greed of agricultural representatives forces them to seek maximum benefits at minimum costs. As a result, there is a total lack of funds for the repair of farms, their overload and obviously unsanitary conditions in which the animals are kept. Such an environment is dangerous, since bacteria swarming around can lead to illness in the animal itself and the subsequent spread of the epidemic throughout the farm. As a result, the meat will become officially unsuitable for sale, and veterinary control may even close the livestock facility.
To prevent this from happening, each animal receives a loading dose of antibiotics every day: such medications are much cheaper than bringing farms into proper condition. And besides, in this case you don’t have to reduce the number of livestock, getting maximum financial benefits. Therefore, every piece of meat eaten is also a couple of tablets of the strongest antibiotics, which not only undermine the immune system and reduce the subsequent response to treatment, but also harm the condition of the liver, kidneys and intestinal microflora.
The moral aspect of the harm of meat to the body
No matter how much meat-eaters would like to think that a fatty piece of pork lying on a plate appeared in the store by magic, this does not happen. Each meat dish is the result of cruel keeping and subsequent killing of an animal that, just like you, wanted to live. Take an innocent rabbit, cat or dog that you care for and cherish, and kill it with your own hands! Scary, disgusting and terrible? But the same living creatures live in slaughterhouses!
Watch a video on the Internet about how the killing of innocent fauna representatives, raised to pacify human gluttony, takes place. How much pain, rejection and powerless tears each of them sheds! And for what? So that representatives of the meat industry become even richer, and people get a couple of steps closer to deadly diseases. So why are you ordering another portion of kebab?
If you don't care about the suffering of others, think about the fact that with every piece of meat you eat, you are letting into your body uncontrollable horror, panic and stress - exactly what an animal experiences at the moment of death. It has long been proven that these conditions are controlled physiologically, which means that all substances that enter the blood at the time of death remain in the meat forever. They cannot but influence the well-being of the meat eater, causing increased anxiety and low stress resistance.
WHO about the dangers of meat
Research by the World Health Organization confirms disappointing results for adherents of an animal diet: meat can indeed cause serious abnormalities in the functioning of the body. In particular, just 50 grams of meat products can increase the risk of developing intestinal cancer by as much as 18%, and 100 grams can increase the risk of cancer of other internal organs by 17%. Think about it: one small ham sandwich can cost months of chemotherapy and possible death! Isn't the price too high?
The World Health Organization's International Cancer Research Unit, in its report on recent research, equates the harm of meat to radioactive plutonium. Every year, about 34 thousand people die from diseases caused by a meat-containing diet. Yes, compared to tobacco and alcohol, this is not so much, but do you really want to be among them?
Some research data
The basic knowledge gained in the field of studying the effects of meat on humans is summarized in a study by the famous American scientist Colin Campbell, which was conducted with the support of the US National Institutes of Health, the American Institute of Cancer Research and the American Cancer Society. For about 40 years, Campbell and a team of scientists conducted experiments and research, as a result of which they came to indestructible and therefore even more surprising conclusions:
- All other things being equal, a meat diet increases the risk of developing cancer by 21%. At the same time, abstaining from animal proteins after the appearance of a tumor inhibits its development by 40%, which makes it possible to recover and undergo a course of rehabilitation without risk to life.
- Meat is an inhibitor of diabetes. If a diabetic refuses such dishes, this will reduce the need for insulin-containing drugs.
- Multiple sclerosis is another disease associated with the consumption of animal foods. In 95% of cases, switching to a plant-based diet allows you to avoid severe symptoms of this autoimmune disease and significantly reduce its manifestations.
- Meat leads to increased cholesterol and, as a result, to blockage of blood vessels. Most of the “heart attack patients” in cardiology departments are notorious meat eaters.
What to do?
We can talk about the dangers of meat for the human body for hours: this issue has been studied quite thoroughly, so leading nutritionists around the world recommend giving up such products and switching to a more balanced and rational plant-based diet. It's time to stop helping meat-processing corporations line their pockets by building their capital on the blood and killing of animals and the destruction of a great natural gift - human health. Before you put another fatty steak on your plate, think about it: this could be your last!
Just recently, it would never have occurred to anyone to raise the question of the dangers of meat products. But recently everything has changed: today, an increasing number of people are agitating to stop eating “dead meat” and switch to natural food. “Meat: benefits and harms?” – one of the most pressing topics in our world. In this article we will compare the beneficial and harmful properties of meat and try to find out which prevails.
Many people regularly consume this product, but do not even think about what meat is (from a scientific point of view). We will provide you with a precise answer to this question.
So, meat is the skeletal muscle of an animal, containing fat or connective tissue, as well as adjacent bones. You can also classify some animal organs as meat products, for example, liver, tongue, heart, stomach and others. Meat can come from different animals. Most of them are specially raised in slaughterhouses and farms, and subsequently killed and sent to the market.
What does WHO say about the dangers of meat?
On October 30, 2015, the World Health Organization (WHO) clarified its latest study on meat products. According to him, processed meat products such as sausage, bacon, ham and hot dogs provoke the development of cancer pathologies.
The listed “delicacies” were officially included in the list of highly carcinogenic substances of the 1st level, which already includes cigarettes, alcohol, arsenic and asbestos. It should be noted that the inclusion of the products described above in this list does not mean that sausage is carcinogenic in the same way as, for example, smoking. But this is a clear reason for thought for lovers of fried sausages, hamburgers and hot dogs.
A study conducted by the WHO International Agency for Research on Cancer found that substances present in processed meat products lead to the development of bowel cancer. The WHO report on the dangers of meat states the following:
“The risk of colorectal cancer in a person who consumes processed meat is relatively low, but it begins to increase with the amount of processed meat consumed.”
Scientists say that by eating 50 grams of processed meat daily (that's about three pieces of fried bacon), we increase the risk of developing intestinal cancer by 18%.
Also, the WHO report on the dangers of meat contains data on the possible carcinogenicity of red meat, namely pork, lamb and beef. Red meat was included in the list of hazardous foods at level 2, along with substances such as glyphosphate, which is the active component of most herbicides.
The WHO's findings are based on more than 800 studies, but they have received a huge amount of negative feedback from meat processing companies. Representatives of the companies argue that meat is an integral part of any balanced diet, and in order to assess the dangers of meat products, one must take into account the living conditions of a person, as well as the environment in which he lives.
Useful properties of this product
The most important benefit of meat is its increased protein content. Protein is the most important building material for cells and organs of the human body. Meat also contains a large amount of vitamins and minerals, valuable amino acids (including essential ones), and fats. Meat products contain a lot of iron, and this element is extremely important in the blood circulation process.
The meat of different animals contains from 10 to 35% protein. For comparison, in legumes and nuts, which are plant sources of protein, this figure does not exceed 25%. In addition, plant protein is not as well absorbed by the body as animal protein.
There are other beneficial properties of meat products, for example:
- Animal fats have a pronounced choleretic effect and thus benefit the liver;
- Lean meats are used in various diets, allowing you to lose extra pounds, while saturating your body with useful substances that are important for all metabolic processes.
To answer the question as accurately as possible, what are the benefits of meat, you need to consider its different types.
Types of meat and their beneficial properties
The most popular and most often eaten types of meat today are:
Pork. Its beneficial properties are due not only to its high protein content, but also to the presence of vitamins D, B12, and valuable microelements: sodium, iron, potassium, magnesium, calcium and phosphorus. Pork meat is good for bones and the nervous system; it is also claimed that it has a positive effect on male potency. But we should not forget that pork meat is quite fatty, so people who are overweight and have diseases of the gastrointestinal tract should avoid it.- Beef. The benefit lies in the high content of vitamins C, A, E, PP, group B, minerals: magnesium, copper, cobalt, sodium, potassium, iron and zinc. Beef is very beneficial for blood circulation, increases hemoglobin levels, and is important to include in your diet for anemia (anemia).
- Chicken. Contains a lot of easily digestible protein and a minimum of fat. Chicken meat is also rich in potassium, phosphorus, iron and magnesium. This product has a good effect on blood pressure, takes part in fat metabolism, normalizes the sugar content in urine, and also improves kidney function and reduces cholesterol levels.
- . The beneficial properties of turkey meat are due to the large amount of vitamins (E and A) in it, as well as microelements (calcium, sulfur, iron, phosphorus, sodium, potassium, manganese, iodine and magnesium). Turkey meat contains 2 times more sodium than beef, so during its preparation you can completely avoid salt. This product also contains much more iron than pork, beef and chicken. Turkey meat has virtually no contraindications; the only possible harm is the consumption of a stale or low-quality product.
- Duck. This meat is a real storehouse of various vitamins (K, E, group B) and beneficial elements (selenium, zinc, phosphorus, iron, copper, calcium, potassium, magnesium). But we should not forget that duck is a fairly fatty product that contains saturated fatty acids, which contribute to the appearance of cholesterol plaques in the blood vessels.
- Rabbit. Rabbit meat is widely known as a dietary product with a high protein content and a minimum of fat. Rabbit meat has a vitamin and mineral composition no poorer than other types of meat, but thanks to the small amount of sodium it brings great benefits to the body. You should include rabbit meat in your diet if you have food allergies, cardiovascular pathologies and diseases of the gastrointestinal tract.
Of course, these are not all existing types of meat, but the types described are consumed most often.
What are the harms of meat to the body?
Having understood the beneficial properties of meat products, you need to consider how meat can harm you.
The harm of red meat lies in its high cholesterol content, which provokes the appearance of various cardiovascular pathologies. Adherents of meat products object that the harm of meat is mainly due to the method of its preparation. And it is recommended to use this product boiled and baked.
What to do
Based on the facts, we can conclude that meat can bring both benefit and harm. Use the following recommendations and you will be able to eat meat products without fear of negative consequences.
- Keep it in moderation. Any product can be harmful if consumed in unlimited quantities. Scientists have found that an adult should receive from 60 to 80 milligrams of protein per 1 kilogram of weight per day. For example, a person weighing 60 kilograms should eat 36 to 48 grams of protein. Moreover, half of this norm comes from animal protein, and the second part from plant products (legumes, cereals, nuts, and so on).
- It is also not recommended to eat meat products every day. Ideally, meat should be present in your diet about three times a week. On other days it can be replaced with fish and dairy products.
- When choosing a type of meat, give your preference to poultry and rabbit. You need to try to completely remove all semi-finished meat products from your diet - sausage, frankfurters and others.
- In order for the meat to be as beneficial as possible for the body, it should be soaked for some time before cooking. When cooking, pour out the initial broth obtained after the first 5 minutes of boiling, change the water and start cooking again.
- Avoid frying meat. During this method of cooking, harmful substances are formed, including carcinogens, which can provoke the development of oncology.
- Eat meat together with the green ones or non-starchy vegetables (for example, radishes, not potatoes). This combination fully meets the principles of food compatibility and promotes better digestion and absorption of food.
The human digestive system is very different in structure from that of predators or herbivores. This means that humans are omnivores and our gastrointestinal organs are suitable for both digesting and assimilating plant and animal products. Therefore, insisting that meat is harmful or beneficial is pointless.
People who cannot imagine their life without this product should learn to consume it in moderation and prepare it properly. Those who, for various reasons, are forced to give up meat must find a complete replacement for it with other food.
