The Pros and Cons of Meat Consumption Essay

Smoking added to excessive alcohol consumption increases the risk of these cancers even more. A maximum of four drinks a day for men and two drinks for women is recommended. Surprisingly enough, frequent consumption of smoked cured and nitrate preserved meats has also been shown to cause cancer. The codes of 249, 250, 251, and 252 on labels of corned beef, bacon, and smoked sausage indicate that the meat has been cured or preserved. These products increase the risk of stomach cancer and should be eaten in moderation. (http://www.petermac.unimelb.edu.au/DIET.html)

For ages people thought meat was a necessity for humans to stay healthy, This was actually scientifically disproved long ago. Over the past decades very many epidemiological studies have been conducted demonstrating that eating meat is correlated with many diseases.

Replacing all the meat in the human diet with vegetables and fruit is difficult. At the expense of refraining from eating meat, we are expected to partake in excessive

Essential's work, as well as that of Dr. Colin Campbell, whose studies of the primarily vegetable-based diets in China show they have fewer diseases such as cancer. That is the type of disease that skyrockets when patients begin eating huge amounts of red meat. (It is true that, among other things, paleontologists have shown that men tend to be meat-eaters, however, when you look at the history of man and meat, you begin to see a corollary between the cattle industry's use of performance-enhancing drugs such as steroids to get their products to market faster and, in the meantime, the customer, faces and eats many useless drugs, for most people. There are some people who do need them, but they are a very rare minority and are monitored by physicians.)

The author suggests that in order to eliminate this big problem we should all start consuming vegetarian foods and eliminate foods that contain meat. But how is this even possible to achieve? We all need meat and protein in our bodies in order to survive and stay healthy. Although consuming meat has negative effects it also has positive effects that are necessary for our bodies. Meat is healthy and the saturated fat in meat helps reduce blood cholesterol. Many doctors recommend consuming

. . 30 to 40 percent of all cancers are caused by diet”(Davis and Melina 32). The consumption of meat has also been liked to Osteoporosis; “When you eat meat, your blood becomes acidic . . .In order to balance all the acidity, your bones come to the rescue by releasing some of their minerals”(Silverstone 17). “Diets”, in America revolve heavily around meat and dairy products; no wonder cancer is the second leading cause of death.

The red meat studied included beef, pork, lamb and other processed meats. Resent publications detailed the results of the study that began following their participants in 1982. It showed that those with high red meat consumption had a 30-40% increased risk of colon cancer and those who consumed high amounts of processed meat were at a 50% higher risk. High red meat consumption was defined at 3 oz. for men and 2 oz. for women daily. High processed meat consumption was defined at 1 oz. eaten 5-6 times a week for men and 2-3 for women. Even the consumption of white meat, like chicken, showed a 3% increase in risk verses those with a vegetarian

Meat on the other hand has a possible risk for developing cancer, especially red meat. One theory as to why red meat is associated with cancer lies in the preparation of the meat. The thought is that most

But no less than in our DNA, the sights, scents, and rituals of meat eating are in our cultural DNA" (The War of Delicious pg. 5). Meat in today's culture is no longer healthy for humans, we do not realize this because as it states in the quote, 'eating meat is in our cultural DNA'. Meat is no longer healthy for humans because it is all processed and has artificial materials in it. "On October 26, the WHO officially identified processed meat as a Group 1 carcinogen, meaning the quality of the evidence firmly links to cancer" (The War of Delicious pg.1). Cancer?! Who knew that what we, as humans, were eating could actually give us cancer and could kill us? Some of the reasons processed meats cause cancer are because of nitrates and nitrites, heme iron, and high temperatures. When handling meat we must be extremely cautious when it comes to high temperatures and meats it comes very dangerous because meat that is cooked at high heat can produce carcinogens. What is the cancer risk of eating processed meats? The cancer risk is if you eat 50 grams per day of processed meats. This

depending on how the meat is cooked and how it is prepared. it may be wise

Some individuals may have chosen to be Vegetarian for health purposes, or out of respect for animals. The health benefits of not eating meat may reduce the risk of a Heart Attack, Cancer, and Type 2 Diabetes. Meat contains saturated fat. Consuming excessive amounts of meat may cause clogged arteries. Clogged arteries force your heart to beat faster, in order to pump blood through the arteries, resulting in high blood pressure. Compounds broken down in meat produce fatty build up causing clogged arteries, and in some cases resulting in a heart attack. Preservatives, such as nitrate, are used to prevent bacteria in processed meat, and are known to cause cancer. Red meat is high in iron and may diminish insulin’s effectiveness of converting sugar into energy causing diabetes.

The World Cancer Research Fund (WCRF) has warned the public that there is "strong evidence" proving that eating too much red meat can cause bowel cancer. One reason they are looking at is the presence of Haem, an organic pigment that gives color to the meat, which is said to destroy the stomach lining.

The consumption of meat is popularly viewed as an individual issue rather than a global epidemic. It is convenient to relate meat to palpable health concerns such as a rise in cancer, heart disease, stroke, and diabetes. The underlying problem is not inconveniencing the well being of the average meat consumer, and is therefore easier to ignore. The true cost of meat production is harder to calculate when you are mindlessly grabbing it off the shelf of your local grocery store, or ordering it from your favorite restaurant. Excessive resources must be depleted to meet the needs of meat eaters in developed countries,

Nutrients and diet play a big role in people’s health and condition. Poor diet and frequent exposure to certain nutrients leads one’s health vulnerable to various diseases or abnormalities. Cancer is the continuous abnormal cell division, which causes countless people’s lives every year. There isn’t only one factor triggering the development of cancer, but several factors together play a big role in the development of this deadly illness. According to several studies done, red meat and processed meat is one of the contributors to this illness, but how does the most consumed type of meat in the United States cause cancer? Research has shown different types of cancer developments linked to the consumption of red meat and processed red meat, the kinds of red meat involved in this association, and the carcinogens present in red meat which, makes it toxic.

In recent years, red meat has been controversial because it has been linked to heart disease and cancer. The truth is today’s red meat wasn’t what it has used to be. Those we ate nowadays is vastly different than before. The meat products may have been processed before sale. Regardless of the fact that humans consumed red meat through different methods, many experts still believe that it is more harmful to human body than health aspects. Eating red meat raises the risk of early death. As red meat is high in protein and fats, it can contribute to different kinds of diseases and cancer to our human body. Some people claim that red meat is healthy. However, there are some good reasons that this is not true.