By now, you’ve probably heard the hype (and the truth) surrounding the health benefits of eating less meat. It’s true that vegans, those who don’t eat any animal-based foods, and vegetarians are typically at a lower risk of heart disease, type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, certain cancers, like breast cancer and prostate cancer, and obesity. Of course, vegetarians tend to have healthier lifestyles in other ways, too, and more research is needed to sort out which benefits are due to diet or other factors such as exercise.
Eating meat is one of the choices that people tend to make during their life. Meat is one of the tastiest foods that many individuals enjoy in their lives. Meat is commonly taken from different types of animals, e.g., beef, pork, chicken, and other processed meat products. Meat is one of the addictive things that people do not realize they are addicted to until they begin to see the side effects. It is easy for the people that are addicted to meat to cook it in different ways to satisfy their needs. The tastier one’s meat gets, the higher the chances of one having to deal with the side effects.
Consumption of these dangerous types of meat on a daily does not just add to the risk of one getting sick, but it is also an expensive way of life. People who care about their lives tend to escape from this lifestyle, and they get to the vegetarian style which is healthier and sustainable. This lifestyle is, however, not easy to adopt if one is used to eating meat. It is advisable to make it a routine for young children so that they can avoid getting meat-related complications and adopt the new way of life before they get older and it becomes nearly impossible to escape from it.
The Medical Health Organization, in conjunction with the Cancer Agency for Research of Cancer published a report that made people worried in October 2015. The report contained studies that had been made over the past 20 years. These studies concluded that meat is one of the cancer-causing products we consume, especially red meat and processed meat. It is important to understand that red meat includes many different kinds of muscle meat, like beef, pork lamb, veal (and horse for the people who eat horse meat).
Also, the study explained that processed meat is the meat that has undergone processes like smoking, adding additives like salting, fermenting and the meat has already lost its natural taste. Some of the processed meat are sausages, ham, frankfurters which are commonly known as hot dogs, canned meats etc. The report concluded that regular consumption of these meats doubles the chances on one getting cancer. Eating processed meat regularly has been linked to increased risks of getting colorectal cancer.
The following is what can happen to your body when you stop your routine of regularly consuming meat.
1. Your Heart Health Improves.
Well, it is medically discovered that consuming meat alone does not increase the chances of one developing heart problems; but red meat that has been processed in some way is what significantly enhances the risk of your body getting cancer and heart issues. Your body will always try to get rid of anything it deems foreign by attacking it. It does this by inflammation, which is a defense mechanism of the body against any attacks that are caused by disease-causing organisms like bacteria and viruses.
Meat is one of the foods that may cause the heart to experience inflammation. When the inflammation of the heart walls and tissues persists, it tends to significantly increase the possibility of the heart getting attacked with microbe-causing diseases. These heart diseases are oftentimes caused by the consumption of red meat, especially meat containing the Neu5Gc red meat molecule that our body does not produce, and so considers foreign. So, one may get infected from eating red meat that contains the molecule on a continuous basis.
This happens when the body comes in contact with different molecules that it does not produce itself in order to function properly. So, what the body does is that it reacts to this foreign molecule by creating inflammation in order to get rid of it; this is called an immune response. Continuous inflammation can be dangerous to tissues, and the more the body is exposed to this dangerous situation of inflammation, the greater the risk the heart tissues gets effected. This conclusion was discovered from research that was made in the proceedings of The National Academics of Science in 2015.
It was also stated that red meat has a compound called L-carnation that greatly increases the possibility of clogging arteries when it comes into contact with bacterial diseases. Clogged arteries are without doubt one of the main reasons for getting heart diseases, because the arteries have been hindered from performing their required functions.
The body tries to adapt to this new system and instead it ends up increasing the chances of a person’s death, because clogged arteries mean that there will be little-to-no transportation of oxygen throughout the body system. One is encouraged to adopt a vegetarian diet, as it is known to reduce inflammation and helps to protect the heart.
2. You Can Protect Yourself from Cancer.
As most people know, cancer is one of the top ten dangerous diseases in one’s body; there is no cure for cancer patients and their life changes as it gets worse day by day. Many people have lost their loved ones from cancer. In ancient times, the problem of people dying from cancer was very minimal, because they used only to consider eating fruits, vegetables, and well-cooked meat.
People long ago were not exposed to science, and so they were safe from coming into contact with refined meat. One of the ways that they used to refine their meat was by smoking, salting and drying which, even though they are cancer-triggering methods because the flesh is not in its natural state, they would ensure that it is well cooked before they ate it.
As we have seen before, inflammation is one the factors that cause diseases in the body and cancer happens to be one of them. Eating meat on a daily basis is dangerous to your body as it increases the possibility of inflammation and may shorten your life span. Research was carried out on bodybuilders comparing people who ate meat on a daily basis, and those that ate meat occasionally, and the those who did not eat meat at all.
It was discovered that people lived longer who ate vegetables, followed by those that ate meat only occasionally. The ones who ate meat on a daily basis was more prone to acquire dangerous diseases like cancer, and so reduced their life span. This was according to the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition that was published in 2012. Those who died sooner died from heart diseases and cancer due to their high rates of meat consumption.
It was further noticed that those who eat red meat increase their chances of having heart disease by 13 percent, which increases to 20 percent if the person consumes red meat that is processed. This is the reason why it is advisable to replace those bad habits of regular meat consumption with vegetables and other sources of bodybuilding foods to avoid endangering one’s self from dying sooner, because no cure for cancer has been found yet.
One that gets to leave with cancer leaves a sad life knowing that there is no hope of getting well and also the medical facilities of cancer patients are scarce in some country, and the medication is expensive. To avoid putting your beloved family in danger, it is best to stop taking foods that are likely to cause cancer in your body.
3. Your Chances of Living Longer Increase.
Eating red meat and processed meat reduces your life span. By eating a lot of red meat or processed meat, one forces the body to function in a way that it was not supposed to function, because it is trying to make you comfortable in your skin. It has been discovered that people who eat red meat died sooner compared with the people who simply consumed a vegetarian diet. There is no research proving that one dies earlier from the consuming a lot of vegetables, but it has proven excessive consumption of red meat may shorten life one’s lifespan. People that eat a lot of red meat also increases pain in their bodies.
When one suffers from diseases that come about as a result of consuming red meat, he or she ends up endangering their body if they take medication that has a high content of chemicals that need to be broken down. This can reduce one’s chance of getting better. The body has to endure this because, as the body tries to get rid of the sickness, it reduces the cell’s functioning, and in turn, the person’s life may be shortened. For those individuals who take meat daily, they oftentimes increase their weight because of it; and if they do not have regular exercise, they increase their chances of getting other chronic diseases like obesity, which can also shorten one’s lifespan. People who are obese may have a more difficult time being cured from health issues than those who are at a proper weight.
It has also been discovered that people who consume red meat on a daily basis reduce their blood’s function of transporting oxygen to all parts of the body. As a result, this makes the body more prone to muscle pains that occur due to insufficient oxygen in the tissues. When one gets foreign molecules in the body, the body’s immune systems reacts causing inflammation. As a result of this inflammation, the tissues may become weakened.
One’s movement may also be reduced because the joints may become weakened. Sometimes they become so painful, that taking painkillers on a daily basis occurs, which in turn may cause issues in other organs in one’s body. It stands to reason that one should consider consuming sources of proteins other than red or processed meat, such as mineral- and vitamin-rich fish, certain grains and nuts to help reduce the chances of contracting cancer or heart disease, thus possibly shortening your lifespan.
4. You May Lose Weight.
When people try to avoid these diseases, they oftentimes turn to a healthy way of eating, which includes vegetables, fruits, grains and nuts in higher quantities, and avoiding meat, especially red and processed meat. This may help them to lose weight, because a vegetarian diet usually contains less fat and sugar than a diet that includes meat. This is a very good diet for people who are obese. This is because the only thing they lose from meat is its tastiness. Vegetables are known to contain a wide variety of nutrition, and one’s body ends up having less inflammation because what food they are consuming has much less foreign molecules in them.
A purely vegetarian diet with no meat and any other animal products, like dairy products, leads to a significant loss of weight for people who want to lose weight. This is the reason why many programs that are made to aid in weight loss greatly discourages consumption of a lot of red meat and other products like milk, eggs, and chicken. For one to lose weight, he or she should consider a vegetarian diet that is rich in grains and nuts that do not have any artificial additives. Also, one is advised to consider consumption of fruits that are rich in fiber so as to avoid constipation. Constipation often comes about as a result of consuming foods that are low in fiber content.
It is scientifically proven that fiber has been associated with a lower body mass index and lowers the chances of one gaining weight drastically. However, any plant-based foods are the best for consumption as they are low in fat, sugar, and calories that encourage one’s body to gain weight. According to a study in 2012, people who considered the vegetarian diet substantially lost more weight by 4.4 pounds than those who had a non-vegetarian diet.
Those who strictly observed the vegan diet (consists of only plant-based foods) lost 5.5 pounds more than those who only followed the vegetarian diet; this shows that the less consumption of processed meat and meat products the less the chances of gaining weight are, and the higher the chances of increasing one’s lifespan.
However as you completely ditch the bad habits of red meat consumption, it is important to find other healthy sources of proteins and vitamins. This can be gotten from grains, cereals, and fruits; one can also consider taking fresh fish instead of meat. This will make the body be able to get the minerals and vitamins without any compromising situations. However if one wants to lose weight, he or she is advisable to skip some of the meals that have a high concentration of proteins.
5. You May Prevent Diabetes or Manage It Better.
One’s body often excretes insulin in order to control the level of blood sugar in the body. Insulin production keeps the body safe from the diseases that come about as a result of high levels of sugar available in the body. Insulin resistance in the body is a condition that comes about when the body begins to resist producing insulin properly.
One of the causes of diabetes is an increase in glucose levels. The glucose level in one’s body and its blood flow should also be carefully managed, because it might prompt diabetes or heart issues and even corpulence.
Hormonal imbalance is also caused by insulin resistance. If a person is suffering from diabetes, he or she is then having problems with their insulin production. Hormonal imbalance can also be caused by high stress levels, genetic issues that are may be inherited, medical history of the person, and sometimes food allergies. When one suffers from diabetes, they need to act quickly before the diabetes develops and leads to other health issues.
Type 2 diabetes, is a chronic condition of when the body isn’t forming enough insulin to handle the amount of blood sugar one ha; this may lead to the body having weight gain, especially in the abdominal area. This, in turn, makes the body less able to control blood sugars in it, and may also lead to high blood pressure. Insulin is understood to regulate blood sugar levels, but if one consumes high levels of processed meat, he or she impairs the production of it. Type 2 diabetes is difficult to maintain. However, many are able to control their Type 2 diabetes with diet and exercise. If they can’t, they need to be careful to take their insulin regularly as prescribed by their doctor.
Medical doctors have proven that foods low in calories can control abdominal weight and regulate the insulin levels. Consumption of red meats, especially the processed ones, tends to contain a higher amount of sodium, nitrates, and nitrites than the normal amount required in the body. This results in increasing the chances of insulin resistance by hindering the cells that produce insulin from manufacturing it. Otherwise, the plant-based diet, like the nuts, whole grains, beans, soybeans, and low-fat dairy products as well, have proven to significantly aid in lowering weight.
6. You Can Keep Your Blood Pressure Under Control.
The blood that flows smoothly throughout the body leads to a greater supply of oxygen and nutrients in the body. This greatly helps in the maintenance of the body, especially the walls of the arteries walls. The smooth flow also leads to the prevention of the heart suffering from a heart attack or high blood pressure. Magnesium and calcium in the body help in building the heart’s muscular walls. This is very important so the heart can absorb the pressure that comes about as a result of pumping the blood from the heart out to all parts of the body at a high pressure. Other minerals present also help in ensuring that the heart is able to function properly, thereby avoiding weak and faint heartbeats.
For the heart to function properly one needs to avoid eating foods that are known to increase blood pressure. Those foods include red meat and processed meat. According to a study that was published in 2015 in the Journal of Pulmonary and Respiratory Medicine, people that consumed red meat in high quantities were more prone to high blood pressure. This is because the excess fats and acids that are ingested into the body may encourage microorganisms that cause diseases in the coronary area to grow, which may cause inflammation and deterioration of the heart muscle. When this happens, as the heart pumps blood, it has to increase its speed and effort, which may lead to high blood pressure.
This may also happen when one’s intestinal bacteria begins to metabolize the red meat. When our body metabolized red meat, it tends to release a compound called trimethylamine-N-oxide which contributes to elevating one’s blood pressure. Also, red meat often contains a high amount of saturated fats. So, daily consumption of red meat may clog the arteries, resulting in the heart straining to pump the blood sufficiently in the body, leading to elevated blood pressure. When there is a smooth flow of blood throughout the body, this leads to less risk of a heart attack or high blood pressure.
7. You Can Get More Relief from Arthritis Pain.
Weak bones and joints are mostly suffered by older adults. However, people from other age groups are known to suffer from them too, but they do not take a keen interest in it. Weak bones may result from one’s body having excessive acid levels to deal with. Arthritis that forms in joints may be effected by the above-mentioned foods.
Studies have shown that certain diets tend to increase the chance of getting the microorganisms that may cause inflammation, which increases arthritis pain. The body gets this pain from pulling minerals from the bones, especially calcium. One of the functions of calcium is to keep the bones strong, and as a result of the unavailability of calcium in the bones, it can lead to bones becoming weak, hence leading to arthritis pain. Sometimes this pain might lead people like athletes to lose their carriers, because one’s bones and joints tend to become painful, making it almost unbearable to move your body. Ironically, too much usage of pain relievers may lead to an increase of the pain; and as one continues to consume chemicals, the body tends to get tolerant of them and eventually stop working as they should.
Avoiding red meat, which is known to be rather acidic, will ultimately help in lessening the inflammation caused by high levels of acid in our bodies. (See article entitled: 10 Signs that Indicate Your Body is Too Acidic & How to Fix it Fast.)
One is advised to seek help from doctors and to take medications that are prescribed to them. Also, adopting a healthy vegetarian or vegan diet will only improve your arthritis pain.
8. Your Acne May Improve.
Meat that is rich in vitamin B12 may cause an excess of the vitamin in your body, which has been known to trigger an acne breakout. Acne breakouts can be very uncomfortable physically and emotionally. The healthier a person’s skin is, the more likely it will perform its functions properly and improve one’s overall condition. However, skin problems may come as a result of a low pH level (acidic) in the body. As we know, the skin is one of the detoxifying organs of the body.
The skin aids in the excretion of excess fats and acids from the body through sweating. This excretion process occurs when there are too many acids circulating in the blood stream. The skin is designed to handle a certain amount of that, but sometimes other factors cause skin issues.
Researchers have discovered that people who do not have a predisposition to acne can handle extra B12 in their system more effectively than those who do have a predisposition to acne. When the medical researchers were conducting their studies, they noticed that the people who were given vitamin B12 injections developed worse acne just a few days later, leading them to believe that cell division is significant in acne breakouts. So, consuming less red meat, which is high in vitamin B12, might lessen the chance of prolonging an acne breakout.
Vitamin B12 is vital for the proper functioning of the digestion system, typical cell division, and protein amalgamation. Cell division is an important process in the body, and as mentioned above, can prolong an acne breakout. The absence of vitamin B12 causes a remarkable drop in the rate of the development of acne, while an increased rate of consumption of red meat that contains vitamin B12 increases the speed and duration of the discomfort of acne.
Some sources of vitamin B12 are cheddar cheese, eggs, yogurt, grain and red meat. During digestion, the body tries to get rid of the excess vitamin B12, and as a result, the body’s skin responds by excreting the excess B12 through the skin’s pores, which may lead to the formation of acne on the skin. Acne not only affects the outer part of one’s being with uncomfortable, unsightly pimples, but it also affects one’s inner self. One’s self-esteem may lessen due to one feeling rather embarrassed about their looks.
So, if one avoids foods that are rich in vitamin B12, they may be able to have fewer and less severe acne breakouts. However, if one continually eats foods that are rich in vitamin B12, they may need to seek medical attention due to the increased level of inflammation and the spreading of the acne.
9. Better Intestinal Microbiota Metabolism.
During an exclusive research, it was demonstrated that metabolism by the intestinal microbiota of a trimethylamine present in red meat also produced TMAO which is trimethylamine-N-oxide. TMAO is in more abundance in people who consume red meat than those that do not. The presence of a specific bacterial taxa that is being spotted on human feces showed that the agency increased the risk of getting cardiovascular diseases. These microbes also triggered major adverse cardiac events like myocardial infarction, stroke, and death.
These risks are gotten as a result of consuming a lot of meat that is processed and meat that is not well cooked. The microbes available in the meat make themselves comfortable in the body and in turn continue to grow and make the tissues rigid for movement.
The body also may develop some micro-organisms like ringworm that increase in the body, especially in small children. When they are high in number, they make the body too weak to do anything and may manifest on the skin looking like acne. It is, therefore, advisable to deworm about every three months. For people with excess weight, it is advisable to do some exercises regularly in order to prevent the body from having to endure strokes and heart failures.
For the diet section, one is advised to take a lot of vegetables and also take supplements that will enable the body to metabolize nutrients and proteins from the milk properly. The supplements should be medically recommended, however. When one practices all these things, they are increasing the health of their digestive tract, helping the body to metabolize food properly and without interference from unwanted microbes.
10. Artery Clogging Menace.
Red meat contains bacteria that tends to clog arterial walls. People eat lean steak because it is low in fats and cholesterol and high in protein. This is a healthy meat that can be recommended to meat addicts, but consumption of this meat in high quantities increases the risk of the arteries becoming clogged by the fats. Researchers have found that certain bacteria in the meat breaks down into a substance that can be harmful to the body and cause arteries to become clogged.
It was discovered that an individual’s collection of intestinal microbes is as essential to their diet as anything on a nutritional label. It was further stated that bacteria from the foods that we eat can grow and accumulate in the gut. And regular consumption of these foods may make the bacteria strong and the immune system too weak to fight them.
From all the information covered in this article, it can be concluded that consumption of a lot of red meat may lead to death. It is therefore advisable to avoid red meat and processed meat altogether. They carry strong bacteria that may significantly damage the body if they are not well fought against. If they promote clogged arteries, especially of the heart, it can be a very painful and serious experience.
People that are suffering from arterial diseases never recover from it as there is no cure; the only comforting thing present is the painkillers that are needed to be taken frequently. If one does not use painkillers, they may likely die. For the less fortunate people who cannot afford to get the brand name meds, they are forced to get generic medicine, which may not have as high an impact on the body. With all this, it is better for one to adopt the vegetarian diet and avoid consumption of red meat and processed meat in high quantities. It is always best to take care of one’s body.
