A Meat Eaters Conundrum: Protein, Processing and Too Many Pounds

Like religion and politics, meat is one of those subjects best breached lightly, because it tends to heat up really fast.  In the U.S. of A. we sure do love our brisket.  Holidays, sporting events, Lady Gaga - so many things in our culture are associated with meat, and second guessing them is one task best not undertaken lightly.  But I’m going out on a limb here and doing it anyway.  Because there is way too much monkey business going on behind the industrial curtain not to know what you’re really dealing with.  The good news is, there’s no pressure to hop aboard the tofu express if your goal is better health, there are tastier alternatives for carnivores than Tofurky.

While the focus is on healthy eating here and not climate change, it seems remiss not to mention that according to a United Nations report, the meat industry produces more greenhouse gases than the world's plane, train, and automobile fleets combined. The livestock sector (read factory farms) is the leading contributor to water pollution in the United States, thanks to excess nitrogen and phosphorus from fertilizers which flows right into our rivers and streams.  A third of all US fuel consumption is attributed to livestock production.

The Science

Meanwhile, back on the nutrition front, new findings from a major Harvard Meat and Mortality study just published reveal some disturbing statistics.  Researchers followed the dietary habits of 100,000 adults for up to 22 years. They found that red meat consumption was associated with a significantly shorter life due to “increased cancer mortality, increased heart disease mortality, and increased overall mortality’.   Any sentence containing the word mortality three times certainly sounds bad, but what does it really mean?

Dr. Joel Furman summarizes it simply,  “(Harvard study) authors concluded each daily serving of unprocessed red meat increased (mortality) risk by 13% and processed meat by 20%. However, the bottom line 'red meat increases risk of mortality' certainly isn’t news”.

Yes it sounds bad, but don’t panic.  This study did not differentiate between grass fed and factory farmed meats, and factory farming is a key health risk factor in meat consumption, as in a big part of the problem.  Fortunately factory farmed isn’t our only option.  I preempt fortunate because environmental issues aside, the hormones, antibiotics and chemicals used in these confined animal feeding operations are downright scary.

And if you happen to be concerned about toxins or pesticides, it’s probably good to know that factory farmed animal products, as in dairy and beef, contain more toxic residue than any farmed foods, since the chemicals are processed and stored in animal fat cells.  For example dioxins, potent chemicals predominantly found in fatty meat and dairy products, are linked to lymphoma cancers in humans.  Fabulous - why not just light up a Marlboro with your burger and call it a day?

Even leading health care expert Dr. Mercola strongly recommends avoiding meat from factory farms, aka Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations (CAFOs).  He calls factory farmed meat “significantly inferior in quality and nutrition, and the harm will likely outweigh the benefits for most people”.

Gotta Have it?  Go Grass Fed

Now I know that for many of us, meat is an important part of our diet. At the same time, the scientific evidence is increasingly clear that eating too much meat – particularly red and processed meat – is associated with a wide variety of serious health problems.  But the good news for carnivores is, not all meat is created equal.  In fact grass fed meat and dairy has been identified in a number of studies as an important source for certain nutrients.

According to authors Tyler Graham and Dr. Drew Ramsey in their book “The Happiness Diet”, meat isn’t the problem, factory farmed meat is.  Their research shows that of the 588 different combinations of fats found within human profile, some are good and some are bad, but mostly we don’t yet know enough to make specific, scientifically based recommendations.

We do know a few fat facts for certain though.  Things like trans fats from hydrogenated vegetable oils for example are very bad, while conjugated linoliec acid (CLA), derived only from meat and animal products, specifically grass fed ruminants are very good.   In fact, Graham and Ramsey contend that CLA increases blood flow to the brain, protects brain cell longevity and counteracts the effects of the stress hormone cortisol.   And grass-fed meats routinely show higher levels of omega-3 fatty acids and other vitamins, as well as lower levels of E. coli, than factory-farmed beef.

I haven’t eaten red meat in 25 years, does this mean most of my life’s stress could have been prevented with a few cheeseburgers?  As it turns out, the most concentrated sources of CLA are found in mild and cheese, especially goat and sheep’s milk.  CLA is said to prevent some cancers, promote muscle growth and prevent abdominal fat deposits.  In that case, bring on the goat cheese!  Meat though?

There is no question that meat in moderation can be a good source of complete protein and key vitamins and nutrients such as iron, zinc and vitamins B-12, B-6 and niacin. One thing is certain however, as a nation we eat way too much of it.

Americans eat more meat than most other developed nations. In 2009, the U.S. produced 94 kilograms (208 lbs) of meat per person for domestic consumption, not including seafood. That’s nearly 60 percent more than Europe produced (61 kg, or 134 lbs person), and nearly four times as much as developing countries (EWG analysis of 2009 FAO data).  Recent research suggests that eating all this meat is contributing to the U.S. obesity epidemic. Today more than one-third of U.S. adults (35.7%) are obese and approximately 17% (or 12.5 million) of children and adolescents aged 2—19 years are obese.

It’s no surprise that several major studies have found an association between high meat consumption levels and obesity, but did you know it’s been quantified?   A 2009 Johns Hopkins University study found that regular meat eaters (as in standard portions eaten at most meals, every day) ate an average of 700 calories more per day and had a 27% greater likelihood of being obese than meat eaters who consumed the least, other factors held equal. Yes, reducing meat intake makes good health sense.

The P Word, or How Will I Get My Protein?

Personally I hope you’re happy with your weight, so the obesity findings may not be an issue for you.  A more common meat-eaters worry is the P word:  Protein.  I regularly visit a vegetarian retreat center where people go for yoga, most of whom are not vegetarians.  This is the #1 concern every time, and the retreat only lasts for two days!

So let me hit you with some simple stats.   In the US we consume about 16-18% of our calories come from protein.  The average daily recommended allowance is 10%, so I’m no mathematician, but it’s easy to see we’re exceeding that by 60-80%.  Now stay with me here, 80% of this protein we’re consuming comes from animal food.  When we compare this to nations with far lower consumption-related disease rates like rural China, which has about 10% rate of animal based protein consumption, it turns out to be almost 10 times more.  Yes there is a connection.  Too much animal protein leads to diet related diseases like obesity, high cholesterol, heart disease and cancer.  There is extensive research to prove this.

The good news is in spite what most people believe, protein resides in more than just meat.  In fact, studies show it would be difficult not to get enough protein if you’re eating a healthy, plant based diet.

The fact is, protein intake for most age groups far exceeds our own government’s recommended dietary allowance, which is by many considered quite generous (RDA) (CDC 2009). By contrast, only 1 percent of children and 4 percent of adults ate their recommended daily intake of fruits and vegetables (Kimmons 2009).  Holy guacamole people, we’re eating  too much meat, too much protein and way too few fruits and vegetables.  Somebody please pass the beans!

Baby Steps to Better Health

Meat lovers, we can turn lemons into lemonade here.  If you can’t (or don’t want to) quit cold turkey (no pun intended), start by reducing, one meal a day if you can.  Even just one day a week makes a difference.  Hipsters like Drew Barrymore, Jessica Simpson and Gywneth Paltrow are part of the Meat Free Monday movement, which is a fun and visionary new theme to bring into your life.  My kids are into it, my husband, who would eat meat every Monday if he did the shopping, somehow proudly sports his Meat Free Monday tee (I bought it for him of course!)

So if you’re ready to give is a go, why not start small?  Meat Free Monday is a perfect first step toward healthier living, maybe even a fun family ritual, which can open the door to new ways of cooking – not harder, maybe easier, just fresh and more creative.  There are tons of easy recipes to experiment with that are so tasty and satiating the meat won’t even be missed.  I often serve meat-free dinners to non-vegetarian friends.  Time and again they’re surprised at by substituting meaty Portobello mushrooms, tasty lentils or my hearty vegetarian chili.

Another benefit:  his notion easily expands into a new topic for exploration with kids – how do our personal choices impact the bigger picture and affect our future, one way or the other?  This stuff is not only important, and sadly, not often discussed in school.

Essentially it comes down to discovering for yourself whether meat free changes the way your body feels.  Most people experience weight loss, increased energy, and studies show that overall health improves long term with reduced meat intake in people on average. I know first-hand, my husband was diagnosed with high blood pressure, a condition closely related to heart disease.  He was put on two different medications and experienced some scary side effects, including passing out randomly more than once.

Since my husband has reduced his meat consumption and switched to grass fed, he’s ditched the meds and found good health again.  Now I know anything is possible!

Top 10 reasons to eat less meat!

1. Debunk the protein myth.  Revamp your vision of the anemic vegetarian, some of the strongest animals on earth are plant eaters, and some of the strongest people too!
2. Reduce your risk of about 5 major diseases.  Meat and meat products are linked to a variety of health problems.
3. Pound for pound, legumes and vegetables cost less.
4. If everyone in the U.S. ate no meat or cheese just one day a week, it would be like not driving 91 billion miles – or taking 7.6 million cars off the road.
5. You’ll feel better.
6. You’ll look better.
7. Proximity to a veritable plethora of fresh produce!  We live in one of the most prolific organic farming societies in the country, take advantage of all the farm stands and local markets Santa Cruz has to offer.
8. You’ll stop contributing to animal cruelty.  Unless explicated noted, most livestock raised for food is raised in factory farm conditions, which are horribly cruel places.
9. You’ll avoid antibiotics, hormones and other synthetic chemicals which are administered to factory farmed animals to make them grown faster, produce more milk, and stay infection-free in dirty, crowded conditions.
10. You’ll discover a whole new world of delicious cuisine!