Meat Diet Essay

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Recommended: Negative effects of eating meat or animals

This paper will give insight into the health benefits as well as disadvantages of a diet highly comprised of meat. This topic is one that interests me greatly due to the recent movements toward vegan and other diets. Some information has been gathered portraying the risks of a high meat concentration diet. These risks include, but are not limited to; cancer, high cholesterol and obesity. An optimal diet can be defined as the following; a diet that maximizes health and longevity and, therefore, prevents nutrient deficiencies, reduces risks for diet-related chronic diseases, and is composed of foods that are available, safe and palatable (Kudlackova, Babinska & Valachovicova, 2005). With this in mind, one can first inquire which nutrients are lacking from diets comprised highly of meat. On the basis of proteins, plants are much richer in non-essential amino acids in comparison to meat. Other nutrients that are missing from diets that consist largely of meat include; carbohydrates, antioxidative vitamins, minerals, fiber and vitamin C (Kudlackova, Babinska & Valachovicova, 2005). High consumption of meat can oftentimes be associated with weight gain. Whey protein is probably one of the most highly consumed products by people who work out. It is stated that “annual weight gain is positively associated with total meat consumption” (Williamson, Foster, Stanner & Buttriss, 2005). Inactivity along with a high concentration of meat in one’s diet will induce weight gain. In two articles associated with this, it was stated that because of the positive correlation between meat intake and weight gain it is favorable to decrease consumption of meat. In the EPIC-Oxford study, four dietary groups were compared for differences in nutrient int... ... middle of paper ... ... Because meat is a nutrient dense food, we have evolved to use it to our best capabilities. The good outweighs the possible bad that can come from eating large quantities of meat to me. In fact, I consider myself extraordinarily blessed to live in a place where high quality meat is so readily available. I have never had to worry about iron deficiencies, malnutrition, or many other illnesses. As far as the cancer is concerned, I am not worried about the possibility of getting cancer from consuming meat. This world is filled with far more and worse cancer causing substances than a good steak on a Friday night.With everything I have learned through reading these articles, I feel that I am far more informed on the nutritional benefits as well as possible detriments from consuming meat, but my stance on meat consumption is solid, “America wasn’t built on bowls of salad.”

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