Do we need animal meat in the diet?

Published: 02/04/2010 - Updated: 02/08/2018

In many diets, animal flesh is considered one of the main dishes, while in other diets, such as vegetarian or vegan, you can do without even any derived product. Many nutrition experts have concluded that avoiding red meat completely in the diet can deprive the body of a large supply of vitamins and nutrients which cannot be achieved by other means, such as vegetables or cereals, with the same abundance and quality. On the other hand, vegetarians say the body can certainly go ahead without the meat and even can be removed because of the bad things that this creates.

In fact, eating meat or not has been for many people a matter of controversy, especially from the moral perspective, since it suggests that it is unethical to kill or eat animals, so many people choose a vegetarian diet.

However, putting ethics a side, meat is a food that causes certain reactions in the body, and although for many it remains a rich and tasty dish, on health issues would be interesting to review some of the reasons why consumption is discouraged, leaving you the best decision. In this case, we will only talk about red meat.

Disadvantages of red or animal meat

It does not provide power:

Animal flesh does not provide the energy needed, as its digestive process is very long and requires a great expenditure of energy. This is the reason why many times when you just eat meat there is a feeling of heaviness or sleep.

Fee of fiber:

A food lacking in fiber, which is required for proper evacuation and intestinal health. So the meat promotes constipation, bowel problems, hemorrhoids, colitis and formation of diverticula.

Free of amino acids:

When eaten fried, boiled or roasted, the meat loses virtually all its amino acids, which are converted into toxic and unnecessary in the body.

High in saturated fat:

It has a high level of bad fats that increase blood cholesterol, which can lead to all kinds of heart disease, high triglycerides, obesity, high cholesterol, etc. These conditions can aggravate diseases like high blood pressure, and trigger problems such as atherosclerosis (veins obscured by the excessive accumulation of fat) and even cardiac arrest.

High in irritants:

Most of the cattle are fed with hormones, antibiotics, sewage pellets, tranquilizers, and sometimes even cement, in order that these "weigh" more at the time of sale.

Uric acid:

This is a very harmful and toxic substance that causes serious imbalances and disorders in the body. The human liver has a limit for the body eliminating uric acid. Humans lack an enzyme called uricase, which is capable of decomposing uric acid. Uric acid is produced by the human body both as meat consumption or by poor food combining.

Digestion:

Saliva of carnivores, except the human, has an acid suitable for animal protein intake. Human saliva is alkaline.

Intestines:

The intestines of carnivores are short and straight, so that removal of food that rots quickly, like animal flesh, is easy. The human intestine measures seven feet and a half, is circular in shape and is designed to maintain and preserve food longer in the stomach so as to extract all their nutrients. The meat, which rots quickly, remains longer in the body.

If even then you decide to eat meat, then you'd better take some precautions when consuming for your body to absorb less of the damage. Here are some recommendations for eating red meat of the healthiest way:

  • Each time you eat meat, accompany with a salad of abundant fresh vegetables, or, alternatively, with a freshly made vegetable juice like carrot, alfalfa, celery or three mixed vegetables. This will bring fiber to your body to evacuate the meat more quickly and also will be nourishing your body with vitamins and minerals of high quality.
  • When you finish eating meat, squeeze the juice of 2 or 3 lemons in half a glass of water and drink.
  • Chew your meat well.
  • Avoid drinking sugary drinks like sodas, juices, etc.., while eating and 1 hour after eating: sugar foods quickly ferment and cause indigestion, poor digestion.
  • Avoid eating meat every day, it's best to eat 2 times a week, in this way your intestines and blood will not be saturated fat and toxins and unnecessary substances.
  • Do not eat meat or fried in oil. It is best to eat it almost raw, with a little lemon juice (such as Keppe oil) or grilled.
  • Drink about 8 glasses of pure water a day to remove more easily.
  • Do not combine with carbohydrates such as potatoes (tubers), rice, pasta, bread or sugar.
  • Exercise often to enable normal bowel function.  Avoid eating sugary food or dessert after dinner.

About the author
  • K. Laura Garcés G

    Writer, therapist and lecturer. She is a lover of natural medicine and the power of mind and emotions in body and life. In addition, he has studied nutrition and develops appropriate diets to support this healing process.She has written more than 1500 articles in magazines in Spain and Mexico, winner of two literature contests. Linkedin.