Ah meat, the rotting flesh from a dead body! Packed with nutrients like protein and iron, vitamins and minerals, surely seems like a nutritional powerhouse!
Plus, our ancestors ate meat. And people have continued to, throughout history up to now, so it must be healthy right? It must be something we as humans are naturally supposed to eat, right?
Well, not so fast. Just because we can do something, doesn’t mean we’re supposed to, or should. And just because our ancestors did things they had to for survival doesn’t mean we’re still supposed to do those things today.
Just because meat is something that our bodies can digest and extract nutrients from, does not mean that it’s healthy, or something our bodies were designed to live and thrive off of.
Meat is not healthy.
There are many reasons why, so let’s dive in! Trigger warning for meatheads…
WHY MEAT IS NOT HEALTHY
Now, when I say this, I’m not implying that meat is toxic, or poisonous, or that consuming any amount will kill you.
I’m simply making the point that meat is not something that should be looked at as a healthy source of nutrition, at least, not in modern society. And the reason it is looked at as such is primarily because of business and marketing
Of course, I seem biased because I’m vegan. But aside from ethical perspectives, there are many health-related reasons that also play a role in why I no longer see meat as a food source.
Again, I don’t believe meat is toxic. At least, not in the short term.
One important thing people don’t take into account when thinking that meat is healthy, or that humans are omnivores because we can eat it, is the fact that the main causes of death associated with eating meat can develop for decades before they become fatal.
These main causes of death associated with eating meat, of course, are: cardiovascular disease, colon cancer, & alzheimers/dementia.
All three of these typically start to develop early on, but might not take effect until the person is in their 60s, 70s, or maybe even their 80s.
There are other lifestyle factors that play a role, as well, and is perhaps why some people might experience these diseases either earlier on in life vs. later in life
But there are still many reasons why, and how, eating meat can lead up to these diseases, and more. Let’s start with the most prominent..
CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASE
The number 1 killer of humans. Not lions, or tigers, or sharks, but humans.
Cardiovascular disease – heart disease, heart attack, stroke – can occur in numerous ways, and from various factors other than meat such as: smoking, obesity, inactive lifestyle, alcohol, ultra-processed junk foods, etc.
However, not everyone who eats meat also partakes in these other unhealthy activities, yet, cardiovascular disease is still the main killer of humans. Even supposedly “healthy” ones.
How is meat involved? A few different ways..
CHOLESTEROL
All animal products contain cholesterol. Meat, of course, is a great source! But..
Having high cholesterol levels is one of the main drivers of heart disease. And roughly 1 out of 10 Americans suffers from high cholesterol. However, even people with seemingly normal levels of cholesterol can still experience heart issues.
The thing is, our bodies create all the cholesterol we need. So taking in any excess can lead to unnecessarily-raised cholesterol levels that, overtime, can lead to atherosclerosis, and heart disease.
Consuming animal products, like meat, raises cholesterol levels – while eating whole plant foods, like whole grains, legumes, fruits, veggies – has been shown to actually lower and manage cholesterol levels.
BLOOD PRESSURE
Another risk factor for heart disease is having high blood pressure.
Along with high cholesterol, having high blood pressure is also one of the most common health issues today.
This essentially means the heart is working harder and harder to pump blood throughout the body. Because of this, there is an increase of pressure inside artery walls. This, of course, can be problematic.
This can be due to various things such as the blood being more viscous, or, “thicker”, from things like saturated fat – high in red meat. Or it could be due to blockages in arteries from plaque build-up – also a result of higher intakes of saturated fat and cholesterol.
In any case, having chronically high blood pressure puts you more at risk for cardiovascular disease.
To no surprise, eating healthy, whole, plant foods has been shown to help lower blood pressure.
INSULIN RESISTANCE
Insulin resistance is essentially when the muscle and liver cells in the body won’t allow insulin, a hormone, to do its job – which is to allow glucose (blood sugar, from carbs) into the cells for energy. This results in high blood sugar, and an increased risk for type 2 diabetes.
Carbs are not the initial cause for this. Having high blood sugar due to glucose not being allowed in cells is a symptom of the problem, not the problem.
** Side note: refined carbs (added sugars, white bread/pasta/rice, dessert, candy) can exacerbate symptoms. When I refer to carbs not being the problem I’m referring to whole complex carbs from whole plant foods **
Insulin resistance is also not caused by eating frequency, but rather, in otherwise healthy people, is caused by chronically eating in a calorie excess, especially if much of those calories are coming from saturated fat. Saturated fat happens to be prominent in most meats, and also other animal by-products such as higher-fat dairy and eggs.
In relation to this, intramyocellular lipids are the cause of the problem.
That just means “fat in the cell”.
The problem is that animal fat can build up in muscle and liver cells and eventually prevent insulin and glucose from doing what they need to do. This then leaves glucose in the bloodstream, resulting in high blood sugar
Dr. Neal Barnard, president of the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine (PCRM), had a great analogy for this, which was to imagine jamming gum inside of a lock.
This is a similar idea of what animal fat can do to our cells, and is why eating meat, especially high in saturated fat, can lead to insulin resistance, and type 2 diabetes.
The documentary What the Health exposed some of the relationships between diabetes foundations and the meat industry. As well as heart disease foundations.
Which you can imagine plays a role in why information like this is suppressed in the medical field, and the public is led to believe other things.
But in any case, studies have shown that whole-food, plant based populations such as the Seventh-day Adventists who consume an abundance of healthy carbs – fruits, veggies, whole grains, legumes – and little to no animal fat have some of the lowest rates of diabetes, and insulin resistance.
Having chronic insulin resistance, or type 2 diabetes, can negatively impact the heart, and possibly lead to a cardiovascular event
TMAO
This one has a long, sciencey name, but just to clarify, it’s Trimethylamine N-Oxide. Bleh. Anyway, this has been shown to be another potential risk factor for cardiovascular disease.
TMAO is produced from the gut after consuming certain nutrients. Long story short, meat contains the certain nutrients that produce TMAO – as well as eggs and dairy.
And another long story short.. The more TMAO build-up you have, overtime, can increase the risk of heart attack, stroke, etc.
And of course, eating whole plant foods does not increase TMAO levels, and actually reduces your risk of cardiovascular disease.
SUMMARY
There are several different ways that eating meat can increase the risks of cardiovascular disease, or a cardiovascular event – the main killer of humans.
Aside from the 1st leading cause of death, eating meat can also increase risks for various forms of the 2nd leading cause of death…
CANCER
Cancer is another one of the main killers of humans.
Almost everyone is aware of cigarettes and the link to cancer, as well as various chemicals, or things like asbestos.
However, not many people are quite aware of certain foods and the link to cancer.
Meat can, in fact, increase the risk for certain cancers.
The World Health Organization (WHO) has classified processed meat – bacon, hot dogs, sausage, deli meat – including turkey, pepperoni, ham – as Class 1 carcinogens, meaning there’s been sufficient evidence to show that these products can cause cancer – in this case it’s colon cancer – independent of other factors.
Class 1 carcinogens also consist of: cigarettes, asbestos, plutonium
Yes, this means that processed meat products are on the same level of potential danger as cigarettes. You’d think more people would be aware of this, but as I mentioned.. business and marketing.
And red meat – steak, beef, fatty meats – is classified as a Class 2 carcinogen, meaning there is a correlation between red meat consumption and the increased risk for colon, and breast cancer.
This is something the documentary What the Health also exposes.
So people who claim red meat, for example, is a great source of nutrition, aren’t realizing that in reality, it’s a quiet and slow killer disguised as food.
IGF-1
IGF-1, or insulin-like growth factor, is a hormone that, if elevated too much, can increase the risk of cancer cell growth.
Eating animal protein has been shown to increase the production of IGF-1 in the body
ALZHEIMERS/DEMENTIA
Research in Chicago during the 90s discovered that people who suffered from Alzheimer’s/dementia had a build-up of plaque in various parts of the brain.
It was then discovered that these little balls of plaque were from saturated fat.
Over the years, more research uncovered the connection between eating foods higher in saturated fat, such as red meat, and an increased risk of Alzheimer’s/dementia. We now know that saturated fat doesn’t just have a negative impact on our heart, but also on our brain
ASTHMA/COPD
Believe it or not, eating meat – particularly processed meats – has been associated with asthma flare-ups, and can even irritate lung tissue, potentially leading to COPD (Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease), over time.
A 2017 French study showed a relation between processed meat intake and asthma flare-ups. This study was an observational study, meaning the results aren’t 100% clear, and other factors could have been at play. But either way, some connections between processed meat intake and lung issues continue to be studied.
“HEALTHIER” MEATS
Supposedly “healthier” meats, such as poultry and fish, are actually not as innocent as they might seem.
In terms of cancer risk, they are not currently known carcinogens, however, there are still some carcinogenic compounds that are formed when cooking, which can still be a cause for concern.
In terms of cardiovascular risk, poultry and fish do still contain cholesterol, and some saturated fat. Which can contribute to the development of atherosclerosis.
OTHER POTENTIAL HEALTH CONCERNS
Researchers found that poultry can have traces of fecal matter, and other bacteria that can potentially lead to UTIs, or other types of bacterial infections.
Poultry and fish can also contain worms, or larvae.
And with fish and seafood, there’s, of course, the risk of mercury and heavy metals that can potentially affect the brain overtime.
These types of things would be easy to forgo in a food-scarce environment. However, with our modern environment and over-abundance and access to food, eating fish and poultry over a plant-based option is really risking more harm than good.
MEAT IS MISSING THE GOOD STUFF
The “good stuff” refers to the things that meat is void of, and that power our health, and help us to thrive.
These are things such as: fiber, antioxidants, phytonutrients, complex carbohydrates
I say they “power our health” because they do things like:
- Help control blood sugar
- Reduce inflammation
- Manage hunger
- Manage hormones
- Fight and reduce risk of cancer
- Reduce risk of cardiovascular disease
- Boost energy
- Aid in weight loss
- Help you to feel AWESOME
These are found in plant foods such as fruits, veggies, whole grains, legumes, nuts and seeds. And are not found in meat, or any other animal products.
And all of the so-called “benefits” from meat can also be found in whole plant foods. Yes, even protein, which originates from plants in the first place.
As a matter of fact, all of human nutrition originates from plants. Not meat.
The animals people eat eat plants. The animal then almost serves as a “processing factory” where the plant matter is broken down and digested and absorbed properly into the tissues of the animal, which people then eat.
Animals are simply a middle-man when it comes to nutrition. Especially fish, which are touted for their omega-3 fatty acid content, when in reality, those omega-3’s actually come from algae.
ANOTHER COVID?
Throughout history, be it Covid, or Swine flu, and even further back, humans have endured life-threatening viruses that have been able to spread globally and cause massive fear, panic, and even a shutdown of society.
The one thing all of these diseases and pandemics have in common is that they originate from some type of animal, or animal farm.
Animals can carry viruses and loads of bacteria. And farming animals, especially on a massive scale, is skyrocketing the risks of these viruses or bacteria jumping to humans and causing mass sickness.
It might not be very common – at least yet – but society has been shown time and time again that the dangers of animal-to-human transmission of a virus or disease is very real.
And as long as we continue to exploit and farm animals the way that we do, we are always going to be risking another pandemic
HUMANS ARE OMNIVORES?
Now technically, this isn’t for any human to say with certainty. No one can tell precisely whether or not humans were created to be omnivores, or herbivores (plant eaters), and honestly, it’s kind of irrelevant in today’s world. But it’s still a topic I find interesting to speculate on, so let’s unpack this..
Many people, even “experts”, rest on the idea that humans have evolved to be omnivores. That is, we can live and survive on both plants and animals.
I find this to be a huge fucking misconception. Pardon the language, but let me explain so I don’t just sound like a totally biased vegan.
First of all, as I touched on earlier, meat is essentially a slow killer. The diseases it’s most associated with develop for up to decades before they become fatal. And, if someone is also eating plenty of plant foods, the negative effects of meat won’t be erased, but they will be combatted, extending the time these diseases take even more (because that’s how awesome plants are).
Making it seem as though meat is totally fine and doing no harm.
Omnivores are said to be able to survive off both or either plant or animal food, and it’s been shown time and time again that the more meat a person eats, the higher their risks of various diseases, and early death.
This doesn’t sound like a food source humans can really survive on. At least, not in the long-term if we wanted our species to thrive and prosper for generations.
And again, in regards to whole plant foods, the more of them a person eats, the lower their risks of various diseases and early death.
The next point about why humans being omnivores is a misconception is because omnivores in nature are not turned off, or disgusted by, a dead animal.
Omnivores usually eat their meat raw, straight from the animal that it came from. No cooking, no cleaning, no fancy seasonings or sauces, they just eat it as is.
Humans do not do this. We see a dead animal and are taught to “stay away and not to touch it”. What we do is something that is very very far from what natural omnivores do. We do something that doesn’t even make sense if we really were omnivores. We typically buy meat that is wrapped and packaged nicely, has anything we would view as “gross” cleared away, no image or smell of the actual dead animal it came from, and then we cook and season it up until it’s finally appealing enough for us to eat. We are not omnivores, we are disconnected.
Even psychotic hunters who murder innocent and defenseless animals for fun and eat their flesh tend to pick out certain parts, cook, and season them. (they also tend to use weapons which are not natural and that natural omnivores do not need).
Omnivores, and even carnivores, in nature, also don’t suffer from high cholesterol, high blood pressure, or insulin resistance.
The evidence for humans being herbivores also extends to topics such as how our jaws move and rotate, or how our digestive tracts are designed, etc, but those are discussions for another time.
Simply put, there seems to be more evidence and general common sense that humans are herbivores rather than omnivores. But again, that’s just an interesting topic to speculate on. But if you think humans are even remotely carnivores, you probably need some cognitive evaluations.
EATING MEAT FOR NUTRITION IS LIKE DRINKING YOUR OWN PISS FOR HYDRATION
People have been known to drink their own urine in times of severe dehydration. This reminds me of turning to a dead animal for nutrition. It can do the job in a survival-type scenario, however, it’s probably not ideal to do for the rest of your life. This is just something I thought of, ha.
TAKEAWAYS
Meat is simply not a health-food.
Humans began eating meat for survival (short term), because they didn’t have access to abundant plant foods like modern society does today.
The only reason eating meat continued is because we made it a commodity. And to this day, business thrives off of it.
Everything in regards to health and nutrition about meat, however, is sadly a misconception.
Meat is a slow killer, and is associated with cardiovascular disease, insulin resistance, Alzheimer’s/dementia, lung issues, and even some cancers.
All diseases that take decades to develop, but are nonetheless, very real.
Some other more long-term health issues meat has been associated with are:
- Gout
- PCOS
- MS (multiple sclerosis)
- Poor gut-health
In the short-term, meat can also cause issues such as:
- Bacterial infections, UTIs
- High cholesterol
- High blood pressure
Meat also has no exclusive nutrients that make it necessary to eat in modern society.
If we want to optimize our health, there’s no better food source than whole plant foods. Simple fruits, veggies, whole grains, legumes – beans, chickpeas, lentils – and nuts and seeds, are the foods that are nutritional powerhouses for humans!
For more free resources on vegan and whole-food, plant based nutrition, check out the rest of my blog, or follow me on Instagram!
Thanks for reading! Eat more plants!