The consumption of meat, sausage, fish and poultry is a risk factor for numerous illnesses. The one who wants to live a healthy life should avoid these products. Seen from a dietary-physiological point of view, meat is a superfluous form of nutrition. There is no longer any doubt among experts that one’s dietary needs can met with a vegetarian diet. This is true for all ages With some diseases, for example, high blood pressure, rheumatism or metabolic disorders, a vegetarian way of life is the most sensible therapeutic measure there is. How each person wants to decide about eating meat is up to him, but he should be clear about the consequences.
Cancer, Diabetes, Osteoporosis …
• Meat and Diabetes:
A high consumption of saturated fatty acids can lead to an insulin resistance and encourages the development of diabetes mellitus. Animal products generally contain a lot of saturated fatty acids.
• Meat and Obesity:
Saturated fatty acids further the development of being overweight. Being overweight is a risk factor for heart disease, heart attacks, strokes and circulatory disorders.
• Meat and Bones:
On the average, meat products contain more phosphorus then calcium. A raised phosphorus/calcium ratio results in an increased release of calcium from the bones. As some studies have shown, there is a close relationship between a high dietary consumption of phosphates and a raised risk of osteoporosis and broken bones.
• Meat and Cancer:
The National Institute of Health, the largest medical research institution in the world, determined in 2001 an increased risk of cancer with the consumption of red meat. Argentina and Uruguay are some of the world’s largest consumers of beef and also belong to the countries with the highest rates of breast and colon cancer.
A study by the University of Minnesota published in September 2002 shows that the consumption of barbecued red meat promotes the development of pancreatic cancer.
• Meat and Inflammation and Pain: Animal products contain high levels of arachi donic acid, which forms inflammatory substances. These can lead to the development of neuro dermatitis, inflammation of the small intestines or colon, asthma, arthritis and rheumatism.
• Meat and Heart Attacks and Arterio sclerosis: A too-high intake of iron brought on by the consumption of red meat is a dangerous source of free radicals that damage the blood vessels. The risk of a heart attack increases, particularly with men.
Fishhhh.
Fish is the muscle of a cold-blooded, animal with fins and gills. The major components of fish are fat and protein. There is no carbohydrate, no dietary fiber, or no vitamin C in fish. Because many fish are high on the food chain they are highly contaminated with environmental chemicals – it is not unusual to read in the newspaper that certain kinds of fish, such as swordfish, tuna, or shark, contain sufficient levels to be considered a health hazard. For example, because of their high content of mercury, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has advised women who are pregnant or plan to become pregnant to not eat swordfish, king mackerel, tile fish, shark, or fish from mercury contaminated areas.
The advantages of fish over beef, chicken or pork are largely mythical
Fish is high in fat – often 60% of the calories come from fat. This fat is effortlessly incorporated into a person’s body fat – contributing to the risk of obesity. Fish fat is usually associated with a low risk of cancer. However, there is considerable evidence that fish fat (omega-3 fat) will increase a person’s risk of cancer and also will increase the risk of metastasis (spread of cancer to other parts of the body).2-5 Fish fat is known to paralyze the actions of insulin and increase the tendency for high blood sugars and eventually diabetes, known to suppress the immune system, and known to increase the tendency for serious bleeding within side the body