Negative Effects of Consuming Meat and Its Products

Since meat lacks various essential nutrients, negative effects of eating meat is not negligible as most organs of the body are affected by meat consumption. Meat can be as the muscles of animals and extensively, it makes up all of the structures that form carcass of animal.

All the tissues which surround the muscle such as skin, fat, bone, cartilage, tendons and also conjunctive tissue membranes are regarded as meat.

Furthermore, veins, arteries and also lymphatic vessels which come with the muscles are considered as meat too.

There’s a noticeable increase in the happenings regarding certain diseases, especially cardiac, rheumatic and cardiovascular. Before discussing fully the negative effects of eating meat, we should understand that animals themselves suffer so many diseases as a result of poor conditions emanating from where and how they are raised and live.

The diseases these animals suffer can be transmitted to human through various contacts and even upon consumption as it relates to the negative effects.

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Lack of essential nutrients as part of negative effects of eating meat

Folates

Folates are totally absent in meat. However, it can be found in liver and other variety of meats. That is to say since pork and red meat do not contain folates, it means this essential nutrient is lacking.

Minerals

We can find magnesium and calcium in meat but in small amounts. One hundred grams of meat readily provides about 4% and 8% of the RDA for magnesium while it can also provide us with 1% to 4%/ of the RDA for calcium.

Therefore, diets that are quite rich in meat are capable of having decalcifying effects. However, manganese and iodine can be found in meat but in very small amounts.

Another view regarding lack of certain essential nutrients is noted below:

1. Cellulose fiber is lacking in meat
2. Some vitamins are rarely present or totally absent. Provitamin A (beta-carotene and other carotenoids) are present in very amount or virtually absent. Vitamins C, D, E, and K; only variety meat such as liver contains vitamins A and D. It is worthy to note that variety meats hold high levels of the vitamins mentioned to the point of hyperavitaminosis risk.

Parasites

In pork, parasites are quite common as well as horsemeat. Parasites such as tenia solium, toxoplasma gondii, trichinella spiralis are found in pork. Parasite such as trichinella is characterized by symptoms like edema, swelling of the eyelids or the face. These are negative effects of eating meat.

Another negative effect of eating meat such as pork is that, it is capable of causing myalgia, headache and fever which is causes by trichinella, a parasite found in pork.

Eating meat poses so many negative effects as meat, even lean meat hold various amounts of cholesterol and saturated fat which are quite harmful to the health especially the arteries and the heart.

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Chemical Contaminants

Amongst the several negative effects of eating meat are chemical contaminants such as heavy metals, fungicides, lead, cadmium, pesticides etc.

These chemical contaminants are readily found in the tissues of the animals especially their liver of which humans, who are part of the food chain and even at the top of the food chain, consume more of the above mentioned contaminants. The negative effects of eating meat are more severe here when it’s a meat-based diet.

Waste Products

There are so many nitrogenous compounds contained in meat, some of which are by-products of metabolism of animals. These compounds include; purines, uric acid, urea etc while others are manufactured by bacteria that somewhat proliferate in the meat. These are mainly histamine and tyramine.

In essence, these by-products pose many negative effects:

1. Acidification of the tissues and blood which causes various ailments such as rheumatism or kidney stone.
2. They raise the blood pressure and promote allergies. Histamine and tyramine are the primary factors.

Diseases produced after eating meat

Intestinal Disorders

Among individuals who constantly consume meat, colon diverticulitis is quite common. This same case is similar to that of constipation.

Gout

The disease of gout is triggered by regular meat consumption and this is one of the negative effects of eating meat. This case is characterized by a significant increase of uric acid in the blood. There are two major factors responsible for the cause:

1. The action of the meat acidification (meat’s acidifying action)
2. The purine in meat is capable of leading to the production of uric acid.

Although some plant-based foods such as legumes are highly rich in uric acid and even in a greater level than meat, however they are not acidifying as meat. Therefore, their uric acid is flushed via the kidney and the negative effects are somewhat less.

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Heart

There is a greater risk of eating meat on the regular because eating meat gives way to heart diseases such as myocardial infarction. Heart is mostly affected by regular meat consumption.

Osteoporosis

Salt when in excess coupled with the intake of certain proteins such as those in meat trigger, it triggers the loss of calcium through the urine.

Now, these dietary factors promote high incidence of the above named disease called osteoporosis, especially in western parts of the globe. One of the bones affected by this disease called osteoporosis is the pelvis.

Diabetes

This is another one amongst the negative effects of eating meat. It places one at a very high risk for diabetes especially when eating meat is on the regular. It is worthy to note that this is one of the least frequent ailment among those who seen as vegetarians.

Cancer

Eating meat regularly has been linked to various types of cancer. This is because meat such as pork contains carcinogenic substances.

Therefore, it is not recommended to make eating meat a regular thing because meat increases the risk of hepatocellular carcinoma which is another known type of cancer of the liver.

Another reason why negative effects of eating meat should not be toyed with is that pork and other types of meat such as the regular red meat contain pathogenic microorganisms that are capable of contaminating other foods.

Cancer inducing substances in Meat

The following are some of the substances found in meat and are capable of causing cancer:

Hormones: The hormones used to make livestock fat are readily present in meat at elevated amounts.

Animal fat: Eating meat regularly has been associated with various types of cancer.

Nitrosamines formed in sausages and cured meat.

Heterocyclic amines and aromatic hydrocarbons which are formed when meat is well grilled or fried. Example is benzopyrene.

According to TheGuardian, eating meat everyday puts one at the risk of having heart disease, pneumonia, diabetes and several other ailments.

Lastly, high meat consumption brings about dietary imbalance and this reduces the percentage of calories which come from carbohydrates. Again, this also increases the proportion of calories from fat and proteins.

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Fidel Perez

A graduate of Computer Science and Information Management Technology. Diploma – Caregiving, Certificates – Dementia and Diabetes Awareness and Management. A researcher, blogger, songwriter, singer and acoustic guitarist. Born in an environment where natural talents such as healing are imparted at our natural birth. This natural talents of healing is the result of our genetic inheritance and the training from family environment.