Did you know that red meat can be good for your heart? We have just gotten through Christmas Day and our lovely roast dinner and more than likely you have loads of leftover ham in the fridge. So what better time to look at the subject of meat.
Are we designed to eat red meat? If so, how much and what types?
Human beings, as the ads say, evolved to eat red meat and in fact eating meat was an important part of our development, however we almost certainly didn't eat as much as we do in a typical western diet. Our genes have changed very little in the last 100,000 years and so our red meat requirements have not changed much either.
We know we are designed to eat red meat, albeit less than we do now, but what is really important is the quality of the meat. There are several things that can effect its quality, such as what the cattle is fed, what hormones and drugs are used, and how the meat cooked.
Most cattle are grain fed. I have talked before about what excessive grain consumption can do to people and it does all of the same things when fed to cattle. One of the main things that happens is that the fat ratios change. Grain-fed cattle have been shown to have more omega 6 fats that have been linked to heart disease, and less omega 3 fats which actually promote cardiac health.
Many of the cattle that are consumed also contain measurable amounts of hormones that are transferred to humans. These cows are fed a steady diet of antibiotics and hormones to help promote their growth. Amongst other things, it is believed that human consumption of oestrogen from hormone-fed beef can result in cancer, premature puberty and falling sperm counts.
If you can't find grass-fed beef, kangaroo meat is an excellent option. But remember that overcooking, cooking on high heat and barbecuing your meat can also pose a risk. It can actually create cancer-causing substances in your food called heterocyclic amines (HCAs) which are potent cancer-causing agents.
So by all means enjoy your red meat, but be careful of both the quality and the quantity that you consume.
Dr Brett Hill's top 5 tips for choosing health red meat:
1. Choose organic, hormone- and antibiotic-free meat
2. Choose grass-fed rather than grain-fed meats
3. Avoid overcooking your meat
4. Cook your meat slowly on a low heat
5. Limit yourself to a couple of serves of red meat a week
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written by Dr Brett Hill, December 09, 2010
I agree that there are some environmental concerns (and perhaps some ethical ones) about the way we grow meat. My advice though is always based on what is healthiest.
written by Katherine Cox, April 11, 2011
I read somewhere that our taste buds are designed to primarily detect sweetness. I feel fairly certain that before the advent of rubbing 2 sticks together to make a BBQ and sourcing/grinding spices, that raw meat would not have had a flavour that would naturally appeal to our tastebuds (unless you're a vampire!). I've also read that fossilised egyptian excrement has been studied, and scientists were able to determine that these particular egyptians consumed a soley vegan diet. The mummified egyptians from the same area lived a long lifespan and had very healthy skeletal remains.
Cheers
Katherine
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written by Dr Brett Hill, April 12, 2011
As a result of this evolution around meat eating we evolved to utilise certain fats we were getting from the meats. In particular the Omega 3's (EPA and DHA). These are only found in meat sources (not in spirulina, chia etc.). It has been shown that our bodies can produce some of these from vegetarian sources but unfortunately not enough to meet our requirements.
In terms of tastes we know that our bodies crave the healthy fats and proteins in meats, especially when we are not in the midst of sugar addiction as many modern people are. So meat would no doubt have been highly sought after as a source of energy. And given the risks and energy expenditure that would have been required for a caveman to catch meat and the fact that the records show they still, did the meat must have been highly sought after indeed.
Once again I completely understand if people have ethical or environmental concerns with eating meat and I always say to those people that you can still be a very healthy vegetarian (in fact healthier than 99% of the population) if you do it right. But if you ask me what is healthiest, I will always include healthy meats in part of that picture.
written by Katherine Cox, April 12, 2011
Thanks for your reply. You've made some good points and given me more to think about, research and critically analyse.
Yes, I'd forgotten that Flaxseed Oil provides the same EPA/DHA that fish oil does. Although from what I've read, EPA/DHA appear to only be required in certain stages of life; for pregnant mothers, for children until the age 2 for brain tissue development, and for the elderly (to prevent onset of dementia). The only hardship with flaxseed oil, would be the need to consume a higher dose relative to fish oil. My belief is that flaxseed oil would be the safer option given the pollution in our oceans, and now even more so with the radiation fallout from Fukushima in Japan.
I would also argue with regards to meat consumption, that just because it was done in the past, doesn't make it correct, or something that we bodily evolved to require. I hope that when our civilisation ends, that the new civilisation doesn't dig up coke cans and figure that must be the best thing for our health, because it was popular! Also, it is non conclusive that the egyptian civilisation was formed in 3000 BC, evidence is piling up (and of course not hitting mainstream news), that this amazing civilisation may have been around not thousands, but millions of years.
I think that cave man (for lack of a better word) chased after animals and ate them, because a) they were bored, b) they wanted to compete with other men and c) they copied what other animals were doing.
With respect, I don't agree that our bodies crave fats and proteins from animals. Can you imagine after many years or eating sweet berries and creamy nuts and seeds, that there would be any positive flavour sensation from eating raw meat, be it fish or kangaroo?! If there were any such craving, those needs would be easily met via nuts, seeds, coconuts (if living in the tropics) and fruits and vegetables.
Most people are surprised, upon hearing I'm vegetarian (aspiring vegan), that it wasn't my love of animals that first steered me away from eating them. It was a physiological occurence, that had me experiencing a strong gag reflex upon eating meat. My body told me I didn't need it. Now, if there is an accident with my order at a restaurant, and I'm not aware that there is animal flesh in my meal, my body soon tells me as I feel weighed down, uncomfortable and I usually endure a fitful night's sleep accompanied by nightmares!
This is a huge topic, as I understand that there are people that do actually enjoy the taste of raw meat. It makes me wonder then, if because of our wide mix of ancestory/mixed races, that there may be a genetic tendency to (whether by need or desire), to consume our sentient friends.......but that's another topic headed somewhere down the rabbit hole!!!
Katherine
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im currently writing a book about health and nutrition - i have a slightly differing opinion to yours in relation to meat and animal protein - and especially dairy proteins relationship to my add adhd patients, and believe salicylates and amines also play a part in this complex disorder.
i also am dubious of the paleolithic "diet" and do not recommend it d/t its high meat content and its lack of starchy wholegrains and legumes. its impossible to correctly examine the epidemiology of these paleos as they on average only lived till the age of 25. Anthropologists are also in disagreement on the facts - as starches are hard to preserve. a recent study of ancient peruvians showed they had starch grains in their teeth. there is a man in america who has just completed a 60 day potato fast. his blood sugar went down, he lost 10 kilos, Bp went down as did cholesterol, and he was eating 3 kilos of potatoes a day - so societies "fear" of the potato and "carbs" is a bit out of hand and if you look at obesity rates since the implementation of the "high" protein diet - they have exploded. The myth that plant protein is incomplete has now been proved to be incorrect - and grains such as quinoa are fantastic in their amino acid makeup and availability. NOONE in the western world is at risk of being protein deficient.
i agree humans are designed to eat meat. but only in v v small amounts. certainly not in the processed form or in the amounts we as australian consumers do. i believe a lot of false marketing is driving the food supply. Meat being fed grain is a massive issue for many reasons.. and fresh organic meats are very hard to find when you leave the big cities, i also agree kangaroo is a safe option.
but the debate with meat runs even deeper. unfortunately meat is not sustainable in the way it is produced, and the environmental effects are great. The WHO has warned of this. In relation to carbon emissions - livestock emissions are at 18%. to produce 1 pound of meat requires 57:1 of plant protein.
im more for a movement towards a plant based diet (with v little amounts of meat), and obviously a move AWAY from processed foods.
In the last 10 years we have gone from having 600 products in a supermarket to having 12,000. Clearly considering obesity and cancer rates we as consumers have too much choice. i think we need to re kindle our relationship with food. i constantly hear my patients complain they are time poor - but NOTHING is more important than your health or that of your children. not even the latest episode of greys anatomy
v nice blog, keep up the good work!