These days, it seems like everyone has an opinion on whether eating meat is good or
bad for you.
After all, it’s thought that meat is what helped you humans evolve into, well, humans.
Still, vegetarians swear by tofu, veggie burgers and whatever tempeh is, but taste aside, can
your body function properly without meat?
Personally, I’m not about to give up steak and sushi, but let’s see how your human
bodies fare without it.
Humans first started eating meat about two and a half million years ago.
Before then, they were eating lots of fruits, leaves, flowers and roots, but it’s believed
that the addition of animal protein and the accompanying calories helped their early brains
and bodies evolve and grow larger.
But nowadays, is that meat really necessary?
Meat is packed full of nutrients like protein, iron, calcium, and vitamins D and B12 that
are all super important to keep your body functioning properly.
Deficiencies in these areas can lead to things like increased risks of developing certain
cancers and autoimmune diseases, decreased energy levels, headaches and loss of muscle
mass, just to name a few.
But you apparently really don’t need meat.
Most vegetarians can keep those levels in check with lots of beans, leafy green veggies,
soy, dairy, nutritional yeast, and whole grains.
Dietary supplements can come in handy too in making sure your body is getting everything
it needs.
Cutting out meat from your diet will have some effects on other aspects of your health.
One of the first things that’ll happen is the bacteria in your gut will change to account
for a new type of diet, which may result in a little bloating but nothing serious.
As time goes on, you’ll feel happier, more energetic, and healthier all around.
You’ll probably lose some weight too.
It’s been found that just cutting out meat and changing nothing else can cause people
to lose about 4 or 5 kilograms.
And your risk of developing heart disease drops pretty significantly, as much as 25%.
Plus, processed meats have recently been classified as carcinogens by the World Health Organization,
meaning they’re known to cause cancer.
If you cut those and other types of meat out, your risk of getting cancer drops.
While almost everyone’s body is built to handle a moderate amount of meat, some people
suffer from meat allergies.
Which kinda sounds made up, but the science says it’s a real problem!
These allergies can be pretty serious and come from a few sources.
First, when your body becomes overly sensitive to meat, maybe from not eating it for ten
years, your body considers it a threat.
So, when you eat meat, your system releases huge amounts of histamine to try to protect
you.
This influx of histamine can cause a huge array of reactions, ranging from hives, to
eyelid swelling, to abdominal, respiratory and cardiovascular distress.
All from a little bit of meat!
In some extreme cases, you may experience a life-threatening reaction called anaphylaxis,
causing your airways to close up.
Another, quite unusual, source of meat allergies is the Lone Star tick.
One bite from this insect can rewire someone’s immune system and cause them to develop an
allergy to red meat!
Whether someone stops eating meat voluntarily or because of an allergy, it can have a big
impact on their health and overall wellbeing.
Statistics vary, but it’s thought that about 3% of Americans are vegetarians.
Are you one of them?
Do you feel different not eating meat?
Let us know in the comments.