Meat is Not Bad... In Moderation... Depending on the Meat

Meat is not bad... in moderation... depending on the meat.

There is a lot of controversy about whether eating meat is healthy. On one extreme are the low-carb diets that eat tons of meat in an effort to lose weight. On the other extreme are those who eat No meat, No dairy, No fish, and get all of their proteins by a varied diet of vegetables and legumes.

For those who are somewhere in the middle and just want to know if eating meat is bad for you, there are a few things you need to know in order to make that decision for yourself.

First of all, meat is not bad for humans. In fact, eating meat was an important part of our evolution. It wasn't until humans began eating meat, which began around 2.3 million years ago, that we were able to develop our larger brains.

Humans are carnivores. We have the ability to eat and digest most foods. We have the right teeth, saliva, digestive fluids, and activity in our intestines to digest meat, vegetables, grain, fruits and legumes, in fact, nearly anything except grass.

Meat isn't necessarily bad. So, why does it have such a bad reputation?

In the book The China Study, by T. Colin Campbell and Thomas M. Campbell II, the authors discovered in the lab that cancer cells proliferated when the mice consumed a diet containing 20% or more of animal protein. The cancer cells stopped growing when the animal protein intake was less that 5%. In the lab, it was like they could switch on and off the cancer growth, just by adjusting the animal protein.

When you think that the typical American diet is closer to 30% animal protein, it's not surprising that cancer rates are so high.

The research is interesting, but it gets better when the authors are allowed into China to compare the diets of different regions. The people across China have great regional differences in diet, and don't often travel far from home, so they could really determine a connection between diet and prevalence of disease. What they saw was astounding. In the regions that ate large amounts of animal protein (Peking Duck for example) they found high rates of cancer. In the regions that used animal protein sparingly, like the little bits you get in fried rice, the cancer rates were minimal. The research extended globally, and the data was consistent with their initial findings.

The authors encourage a vegan (no meat or dairy) diet, but the data suggests that keeping animal proteins below 5% is also healthy.

Something else to consider is not just whether eating meat is healthy, but what are you getting in addition to the meat? It looks like a regular piece of meat at the store, what else could be in there?

Plenty.

Many meats contain hormones and antibiotics that are given to the animals to increase yield and reduce loss. Most cattle are fed GMO corn which is a problem for two reasons, 1) cattle are meant to eat grass, the diet of corn causes disease, and 2) GMOs cause health issues in the liver and kidneys so the cow doesn't process toxins, which then recirculate in the body, making them sicker, needing more antibiotics, and the impact of GMOs on humans are still in question. So, even if you actively try to avoid GMO foods in your diet, you may be getting it through your meat.

The only way to safely avoid this is to stay away from over-treated, diseased, corn-fed beef, and switch to local farms, that feed their animals a diet of quality foods, and allow their cattle to graze in the fields, eating grass - you will be eating a much healthier, more nutritious, piece of meat.

We generalize about whether meat is healthy, but not all meats are created equal.

People on diets often will eat chicken, because it contains less fat than beef. They eat lots and lots of chicken. What they don't realize is that chicken often contains growth hormones that can increase your risk of breast cancer. Chicken dishes are often served with sauces that increase calorie intake, while beef is often just cooked and served. Chicken is one choice of meat, but it's not necessarily the healthiest choice by default.

Beef contains a lot more iron, so women who don't eat a lot of meat, may want to consider beef to prevent anemia, or an iron deficiency.

Fish contains important nutrients that are not found in chicken or beef. Salmon and many other fishes contain important Omega-3 Fatty Acids that help improve cardio-vascular health, and reduce the risk of other diseases like cancer. Omega 3s are not found in many foods, walnuts are one source, so if you don't feel like you are getting enough, having fish from time to time will help meet this need.

So, rather than making decisions based on low-fat goals, try to decide what to eat based on your nutritional needs. This will help you move toward more balance, and better health.

Remember - meat takes longer to digest. It slows the digestive system down, increasing your chance of colon cancer. Slowing the system down can cause other complications. Toxins that the body is trying to eliminate stay in the body longer, which can increase the risk of other health issues.

Ideally, if you are going to eat meat, give it time to digest and leave the body before eating more. A few times a week is a healthy approach. Sadly, what is typical is a few times a day - eggs for breakfast, ham sandwich at lunch, and pot roast at dinner. Best to try to reduce this to healthier levels that don't overburden your body.

So, if you are wondering whether meat is bad, just remember:

Meats are not bad for you.

In Moderation.

Depending on the Meat.