New Delhi: Adding that studies from the past three decades indicate that meat is bad for the human body, Union Minister Maneka Gandhi on Monday said, “First you eat meat, and then meat eats you.” Stating that every part of the human body is vegetarian, she explained that the body becomes vulnerable to diseases when alien substances like meat are put into it.
She made a pitch for vegetarianism at the launch of a film ‘The Evidence-Meat Kills’, directed by Mayank Jain, that scientifically explores the effects of meat consumption on human body. She said humans are natural vegetarians and meat consumption harms them. “When we put an alien substance like meat into the human body, we become prone to diseases and if you do this on a daily basis your body will weaken. You will not die of eating meat, but it will certainly weaken your body, making it more vulnerable to diseases." She adds.
Dr. Ramesh Bijlani, former HoD, Department of Physiology, AIIMS, who features in the film -- along with a few other doctors -- lends a professional voice to Maneka’s assertions. "Use of antibiotics and hormones has become routine in not only poultry but also in the meat industry in general, and the types of antibiotics that are used are very often those which are not fit for human consumption. They are not approved for human use but these are given to these animals, but indirectly, the same antibiotics get into human beings when we consume meat," he says at one point during the movie.
Is meat good or bad for health?
Meat is a highly controversial food. On one hand, it's a staple in many diets and is a great source of protein and important nutrients. On the other hand, some people believe eating it is unhealthy, unethical and unnecessary.
Meat is the flesh of animals that humans prepare and consume as food. In the US and many other countries, the term mainly refers to muscle tissue of mammals and birds. It is typically consumed as steak, chops, ribs, and roast or in ground form, like hamburger.
Types of Meat; categorized by their animal source and how they are prepared:
Red Meat: This comes from mammals and contains more of the iron-rich protein myoglobin in its tissue than white meat. Examples include:
• Beef (cattle).
• Pork (pigs and hogs).
• Lamb.
• Veal (calves).
• Goat.
• Game, such as bison, elk and venison (deer).
White Meat: This is generally lighter in colour than red meat and comes from birds and small game. Examples include:
• Chicken.
• Turkey.
• Duck.
• Goose.
• Wild birds, such as quail and pheasant.
Processed Meat: Processed meat has been modified through salting, curing, smoking, drying or other processes to preserve it or enhance flavour. Examples include:
• Hot dogs.
• Sausage.
• Bacon.
• Luncheon meats, such as bologna, salami and pastrami.
• Jerky.
Meat — in its production and consumption — has adverse effects on human health, environment, and animal welfare. Nutrition-related diseases, such as cardiovascular disease and diabetes, associated with the-consumption of animal fats are now responsible for a third of global mortality. Food borne pathogens found in meats, such as Salmonella, Campylobacter, pathogenic E. coli, Avian influenza, and Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE) are responsible for millions of deaths.
Meat and Cancer: Many people claim that eating meat raises cancer risk. However, this largely depends on the type you eat and how it's cooked.
Cooking and preparing meats in certain ways may negatively affect your health. When they're grilled, barbecued or smoked at high temperatures, fat is released and drips onto hot cooking surfaces.
This produces toxic compounds called polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) that can rise up and seep into the meat. PAHs are carcinogenic, meaning they can cause cancer. However, minimizing smoke and quickly wiping away drippings can reduce PAH formation by up to 89%.
Some observational studies link a high red meat intake to several types of cancer, including digestive tract, prostate, kidney and breast cancers. These studies indicate that high-heat cooking had a very strong effect.
Another- animal and observational studies suggest that, in addition to toxic compounds created during high-heat cooking, heme iron found in red meat may play a role in colon cancer development.
Other Health Risks of Eating Meat:
1. A compound found in red meat (and even used as an additive in some energy drinks) called carnitine has been found to cause atherosclerosis, the hardening or clogging of the arteries/ blood vessels, according to a study published in the journal Nature Medicine.
2. A study from Harvard School of Public Health found an association with red meat consumption and increased risk of a shortened lifespan. Eating healthier protein sources such as fish, poultry, nuts, and legumes was associated with a lower risk of mortality.
3. The meat industry refers to it as “lean finely textured beef (LFTB),” but the public knows it as pink slime. This meat additive contains fatty bits of leftover meat that’s heated, spun to remove the fat, and then treated with ammonia gas to kill bacteria. And this ammonia treatment may allow pathogens into the food supply. “The real danger comes from the preparation and the likelihood that the bacteria will spread in your kitchen, according to the department of microbiology and immunology at the Medical University of South Carolina.
4. Meat impacts the environment more than any other food we eat, mainly because livestock require much more land, food, water, and energy than plants to raise and transport. Producing a four-ounce (quarter pound) hamburger, for example, requires 7 pounds of grain and forage, 53 gallons of drinking water and irrigating feed crops, 75 square feet for grazing and growing feed crops, and 1,036 BTUs for feed production and transport—enough to power a microwave for 18 minutes.
5. According to a report published by JAMA Internal Medicine, eating red or processed meat can, over time, increase the risk of developing type 2diabetes. Specifically, 3.5 ounces of red meat or 1.8 ounces of processed meat (e.g. a hot dog or 2 slices of bacon) daily led to a 19% and 51% increase in diabetes risk, respectively.
6. A high intake of red and processed meat has been linked to obesity in several observational studies. This includes a review of 39 studies with data from over 1.1 million people. Researchers found that although there was a relationship between frequent red meat consumption and obesity, people who ate the most also took in about 700 more calories daily than those who ate less.
However, it's important to realize that because these studies are observational, they only show a relationship and cannot prove fully that meat or processed meat has so much harmful for human consumption.
But yes, it definitely seems wise to limit your consumption of processed meat. If you choose to eat red meat, then use gentler cooking methods and avoid burning it.
Although, you may probably already heard, by the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), which is the World Health Organization’s (WHO) cancer agency that categorized processed meat as “carcinogenic” and unprocessed red meat as “probably carcinogenic.” But what you might not have heard is that in an accompanying Q&A document, the IARC also said, “Eating meat has known health benefits.”
Nutritional Value of Meat:
While seafood provides omega-3 fatty acids including DHA and EPA, protein, vitamin A, vitamin B, vitamin D; poultry and red meat provide protein, vitamin A, vitamin B, vitamin D, and minerals such as zinc, magnesium, iron. All of these nutrients are required for various functions of the body and help in their own way.
Poultry, pork, beef, lamb, seafood are some of the types of meat that are as essential as they are tasty. The common denominator in all these is the protein that humans need. Protein converts to energy in our body and helps manage daily functionality. The recommended daily intake of protein is 46 grams for teenage girls and women, 56 grams for men, whereas kids need about 19-34 grams and teenage boys need 52 grams.
There are certain benefits that are exclusive to the consumption of meat and it cannot be substituted with vegetarian diets. Many lifestyle diseases such as cholesterol, diabetes, skin problems have come up only much recently in the evolution history. Studies have shown that people not consuming meat are more likely to suffer from neurotransmitter problems such as depression, anxiety, somatoform diseases and eating disorders.
Health Benefits of Meat:
1. Boosts Immunity- Different forms of meat have a high amount of zinc content, which helps boost immunity. Due to its antioxidant properties, zinc is responsible for creating antibodies to fight free radicals that put us at a higher risk for chronic diseases.
2. Promotes Muscle Growth- The protein in meat helps in building and repairing body tissues as well as improves muscle activity. Tissues and muscles are made of protein which is why protein and zinc in meat aid in muscle growth and repair.
3. Improves Digestive Health- Along with proteins, meat also provides essential amino acids that help in digestion. Since our body cannot produce these by itself, it must be acquired from food. There are nine essential amino acids namely histidine, leucine, lycine, isoleucine, methionine, phenylalanine, threonine, tryptophan, valine and meat provides all nine and therefore is called a complete protein.
4. Improves Blood Circulation- Iron is one of the key minerals that aids in ensuring proper blood circulation and transport of oxygen to all cells. And different types of meat are a good source of iron Iron deficiency can lead to serious health concerns and is initially recognised by weakness, lack of concentration and fatigue.
5. Other benefits include- Meat improves brain power, it helps fetal development, keep the heart healthy and beneficial for a healthy skin, hair and eyes.
References:
www.firstpost.com
www.ptinews.com
www.organicfacts.net
http://thepaleodiet.com
www.prevention.com
www.healthline.com