If meat is an integral part of your culture, it may become a central part of your identity, too. Understanding the practices and traditions of your greater food culture may feel important for you to thrive, eat well, and connect to your roots — and these are perfectly valid reasons to either eat or avoid certain foods Eating or not eating meat is a vital aspect of some cultures.
Consequentially, following cultural norms surrounding dietary practices can be very important for some people. Healthy adults are fully capable of eating and digesting meat. Still, nutritionally and biologically, you can live without it. That said, humans are social animals whose beliefs about eating meat also depend on their cultural and religious norms. You may be compelled by arguments in favor of vegan or vegetarian diets — or you may want to learn to cook meat dishes that your parents made for you growing up.
While vegetarian and vegan diets tend to be more environmentally friendly, not everyone wants to give up eating meat altogether. This article reviews…. Many people believe that red meat can cause harm.
However, it appears to depend on the type of meat consumed, as well as the cooking method. Vegan diets have received an increasing amount of attention in recent years. This article looks at what vegans eat and why people choose to eat this…. If you're considering adding or removing meat from your diet, you may wonder whether meat is healthy. This article explores the environmental and…. As we mentioned above, eating a plant based diet does not guarantee good health.
This unhealthful plant based eating often results in a lower intake of fiber, vegetables, and micronutrients alongside an increased intake of sugar and processed ingredients. Both vegetarians and vegans choose not to eat meat and fish.
However, veganism is a stricter form of vegetarianism that prohibits the consumption or use of any products that come from animals, including dairy, eggs, honey, leather goods, wool, and silk. Vegetarians may eat dairy products, eggs, honey, and other byproducts that do not involve the slaughter of animals. However, there are several variations of the vegetarian diet. For example, some vegetarians choose to eat eggs but not dairy products.
Both vegetarian and vegan diets may provide health benefits, including reduced body weight , lower cholesterol levels, and decreased risk of cardiovascular disease. However, it is important for vegetarians and vegans to ensure that they are meeting all of their nutritional requirements. For example, plants do not naturally contain vitamin B, so vegans and vegetarians may need to consume fortified foods or take dietary supplements to get enough vitamin B Read this article in Spanish.
In this Honest Nutrition feature, we explore the practice of "clean eating," and why this concept has been a controversial one for researchers. A recent study found several phthalates and other plasticizers in food items from leading fast-food chains, highlighting the need for more regulation. This article looks at the causes of postprandial somnolence, or food coma, and explains how people who often feel sleepy after eating can cope with….
Hot water bottles can help to relieve aches and pains. Learn more here. New research in mice examines the impact of a Western diet on cognitive decline and neurodegenerative disorders. What is the difference between veganism and vegetarianism? Medically reviewed by Natalie Butler, R. There is an issue with falling soil quality, as the land is worked harder. The researchers are more worried now about the loss of income for South American farmers as the quinoa supply rises and the price falls.
Palm oil plantations have indeed led to terrible deforestation. The International Union for the Conservation of Nature argues that choosing sustainably produced palm oil is actually positive , because other oil crops take up more land. This is easily remedied by taking a supplement. However, a closer look reveals some surprises. B12 is made by bacteria in soil and the guts of animals, and free-range livestock ingest the B12 as they graze and peck the ground.
But most livestock are not free-range, and pesticides and antibiotics widely used on farms kill the Bproducing bugs. Algae are a plant-based source of B12, although the degree of bio-availability is not settled yet. It is also worth noting that a significant number of non-vegans are B12 deficient , especially older people. The rapid rise of the plant-based burger has prompted some to criticise them as ultra-processed junk food. A plant-based burger could be unhealthier if the salt levels are very high, says Springmann, but it is most likely to still be healthier than a meat burger when all nutritional factors are considered , particularly fibre.
Furthermore, replacing a beef burger with a plant-based alternative is certain to be less damaging to the environment. There is certainly a strong argument to be made that overall we eat far too much processed food, but that applies just as much to meat eaters as to vegetarians and vegans.
And given that most people are unlikely to give up their burgers and sausages any time, the plant-based options are a useful alternative. In any case there is no reason for horticulture to rely on manure at all. Synthetic fertiliser is easily made from the nitrogen in the air and there is plenty of organic fertiliser available if we chose to use it more widely in the form of human faeces.
Over application of fertiliser does cause water pollution problems in many parts of the world. But that applies to both synthetic fertiliser and manure and results from bad management. But almost everyone eats these foods, not just vegans. It is true that insects are in a terrible decline across the planet.
But the biggest drivers of this are the destruction of wild habitat, largely for meat production, and widespread pesticide use. If it is insects that you are really worried about, then eating a plant-based organic diet is the option to choose.
In fact, says Springmann, who was part of the team behind the planetary health diet, it would improve nutritional intake in all regions, including poorer regions where starchy foods currently dominate diets. The big cuts in meat and dairy are needed in rich nations. In other parts of the world, many healthy, traditional diets are already low in animal products. Beef and lamb have many times the carbon footprint of most other foods, she says. Processed meats are linked to cancer, with the strongest evidence linking it to colorectal cancer.
Red meat is probably carcinogenic. A significant number of large observational studies have linked meat consumption to a higher chance of developing heart disease 24 , 25 , 26 , 27 , Recent research including 43, men found that eating unprocessed or processed red meat was linked to a slightly increased risk of heart disease In an older review of 20 studies among more than 1. One study found that people who ate a diet high in red meat had three times the amount of trimethylamine N-oxide TMAO — a compound linked to heart disease — compared with those who ate a diet heavy in white meat or plant-based protein They only show an association.
Additionally, some controlled studies and older research have found that frequent meat consumption, including high fat varieties, has a neutral or beneficial effect on heart disease risk factors 31 , Large studies have linked the consumption of processed or unprocessed meat to heart disease. Some controlled studies have shown that meat may have a neutral or beneficial effect. Several large studies have shown an association between processed or red meat and type 2 diabetes 33 , 34 , 35 , 36 , 37 , 38 , Dietary behaviors may have also played a role, including eating too many refined carbs, consuming insufficient vegetables, or consistently overeating.
Some observational studies show a relationship between red and processed meats and increased diabetes risk. However, this may also depend on other dietary factors. Several observational studies, including a review of 39 studies including over 1. For example, the results from individual studies vary greatly In other words, high meat availability may be associated with an increased prevalence of obesity.
Another study in people with prediabetes found that weight loss and body composition improvements were similar among those who consumed diets based on animal or plant protein Either way, it appears that consuming a plant-heavy or plant-based diet supports healthy weights, regardless of whether meat is consumed.
A plant-heavy diet should be rich in whole foods, which are minimally or not at all processed, especially fresh fruits and vegetables. For example, a recent meta-analysis revealed that the Paleolithic paleo diet — which centers whole foods, includes meat, and excludes grains and processed foods — might help people lose weight, reduce their waist circumference, and help manage chronic disease The paleo diet is a subset of diets that follow what many proponents believe to be the eating patterns of people during the Paleolithic era.
It comprises lean meats, fish, fruits, vegetables, nuts, and seeds — foods that may have been hunted or foraged in the past. To verify its health advantages, however, more randomized clinical trials with a larger number of participants and longer duration are required. They can help you explore new eating habits while ensuring you get the nutrients you need and maintain a healthy relationship with food. While some observational studies have linked red and processed meat intake to higher weights, more robust research is needed.
Meat, along with fish, eggs, soy, and legumes , is a high protein food that may provide certain health benefits:. Protein-rich foods have benefits for muscle and bone health, appetite, metabolism, and iron absorption.
Meat is a significant source of nutrients. Livestock farming has a detrimental influence on several environmental factors, including greenhouse gas emissions , deforestation, water pollution, and water shortages 56 , In any case, the effect of grassland management for cattle on carbon storage is uncertain.
Some experts claim that it might help increase carbon storage in pasturelands. Still, the overall effect is expected to be minor Additionally, meat consumption — particularly wild meat — is linked to viral infections, as numerous viruses have been discovered in meat marketplaces Some people choose not to eat meat because they do not believe that animals should be killed for food when other options exist to meet their nutritional needs.
Others object to animals being raised in large industrial complexes that are sometimes referred to as factory farms. Antibiotics are frequently given to livestock to prevent infection, which can result in antibiotic resistance Many animals are administered steroid hormones, such as estrogen, progesterone, and testosterone, to speed their growth.
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