Consequences Of Eating Meat

Cancer is one of the leading causes of death worldwide. For instance, in 2018, cancer was estimated to have caused about 8.2 million deaths globally. Research has shown that eating large amounts of red meat can increase your risk of developing cancer. For instance, in a review article published, researchers found that the risk of colorectal cancer is increased by 24% in people who eat more than 160 grams of red meat daily in western countries.

Heart disease and stroke are among the world’s leading causes of death. For instance, heart disease and stroke caused about 17 million deaths worldwide in 2018. Many studies have found a positive association between eating large amounts of red or processed meat and an increased risk of death from coronary heart disease and cardiovascular disease. One study published found that an increase of 100 g per day in total meat intake was associated with a 28% greater risk of death from coronary heart disease.

Meat production requires ten times more land and four times more irrigation water than grain production. According to one study, if all the grain currently fed to livestock in the United States were consumed directly by people, the number of people who it could feed would be nearly 800 million. Secondly, animal agriculture produces greenhouse gasses that cause global warming. According to an article published, raising animals for food is responsible for 18% of all greenhouse gas emissions, 50% percent of erosion, and 80% of deforestation worldwide!

Type 2 diabetes is a long-term condition that causes blood sugar levels to become too high. Around 422 million adults worldwide have diabetes, and in 2017 there were 1.5 million deaths related to the disease. Many studies have reported an association between eating large amounts of red or processed meat and an increased risk of type 2 diabetes. One systematic review found that people who ate large amounts of processed meat in western countries were 48% more likely to develop type 2 diabetes than those who consumed small amounts of processed meat.

Alzheimer’s disease is a brain disorder that causes memory, thinking, and behavior problems. In 2018, around 47 million people worldwide had Alzheimer’s disease. A study published in the journal Neurology reported an association between eating large amounts of red or processed meat and a greater risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease. Specifically, researchers found that in western countries, individuals who ate 160 grams or more of red meat per day were almost twice as likely to develop Alzheimer’s disease compared to individuals who ate less than 40 grams of red meat per day.

Many people argue that eating meat is fine because the animals are slaughtered humanely. But this argument has two major flaws. Animals still go through a tremendous amount of suffering before they become food. It can be difficult to kill an animal without causing immense pain, and killing an animal prevents it from experiencing the joys of life. Most farming practices treat animals as not sentient beings with feelings, preferences, hopes, and dreams. This failure to respect their subjective experiences contributes to unnecessary animal suffering on farms.

Acne is one of the most common skin conditions in the world. In 2016, acne affected an estimated 285 million people globally. Studies have found that eating large amounts of red or processed meat can increase your risk of developing acne. For instance, one study published in the Journal Of The Academy Of Nutrition And Dietetics found that girls with a high intake of processed meats had a 32% greater risk of severe acne than those with low intakes.

Obesity is a condition where excess body fat has accumulated to the extent that it may have an adverse effect on health. In 2017, obesity caused about 3 million deaths worldwide. Research has shown that eating large amounts of red meat can increase your risk of developing obesity. For instance, one study found that increased red meat intake in adults was prospectively associated with weight gain and a greater odds of becoming obese over four years.

One study found that eating 160g of red meat per day was associated with a 10% increased risk of mortality and a 14% increased risk of cardiovascular disease. Another study estimated that, based on data from 10 European countries, 1-2 servings (50-100 g) of unprocessed and processed red meat each day were linked to a 1.12 to 2.20 times greater risk of dying than to not eating red meat. The findings persisted among those who never smoked, even those who weren’t obese or physically inactive. In other words, as one expert put it: “The less processed and red meat you consume, the lower your cancer and overall mortality will be.”