It’s the holiday season, a time where it seems to be raining meat, and we are tempted to devour everything that comes our way. But hold on a second and think, is it actually ideal for your health?
Do you know that eating too much meat, especially red meat and processed meat can raise the risk of having different types of diseases especially diabetes, heart disease, and cancer?
Most of us know that we’re supposed to cut down on how much meat we include in our diet, but many of us don’t know why.
Here are 10 reasons you should take a break on your heavy meat consumption, especially during this season.
1. Dehydration
Studies have found out that high-protein diet can cause the kidneys to produce more concentrated urine, causing dehydration. This can affect everything from your energy levels, to your skin, to increased food cravings and even muscle cramps.
2. Body Odour
Studies have found out that people who ate a non-meat diet had body odor that was judged as significantly more attractive, more pleasant, and less intense than the body odor of meat-eaters.
3. Constipation
An expert has revealed that “Eating lots of meat in place of carbohydrates can lead to constipation, because meat provides no fiber.” To alleviate any constipation, lower your intake of meat and up your intake of complex carbohydrates as well as fruits and vegetables.
4. Headaches
According to an expert, carbohydrates are fuel for the brain, so when we eat tons of meat and not enough carbohydrates, this can lead to headaches and poor mental function. Taking in too much meat into your system can cause headaches considering too much of it can lead to dehydrating.
5. Increased Risk of Vision Loss
High consumption of red meat is linked to increased risk for age-related macular degeneration, the number one cause of blindness among older people. According to an expert, the reason behind that link is that the saturated fat in meat is thought to be harmful to the tiny blood vessels of the eyes. Some of the chemicals (nitrosamines) in some processed meats are also thought to be a culprit in harming eyes.
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6. Weak Bones
Diets that are high in protein and meat may cause calcium loss. This is sometimes associated with osteoporosis and poor bone health.
According to an expert, Super high amounts of protein can increase the urinary loss of calcium, which is essential for building strong bones.
7. Fatigue
If you always feel tired, it might be your diet, not your sleep, that’s causing the fatigue. Expert says, Overconsumption of meat can make you feel tired if you are not digesting it properly, because meat is inherently harder on our system to digest because it requires more work.
8. Bad Breath
Always reaching for those mints? Your diet may be to blame. “A diet too high in protein and fat with not enough carbohydrates can cause the body to produce ketones,” says Jaime Gnau, a dietetic intern at Missouri State University, over email. “Ketones are released through the breath and cause it to smell like acetone.”
9. Increased cancer risk
Studies have shown that certain high-protein diets that are particularly high in red meat-based protein are linked to an increased risk of various health issues, including cancer.
Eating more red and/or processed meat is associated with colorectal, breast and prostate cancer. Conversely, eating protein from other sources has been associated with a decreased risk of cancer. Scientists believe this could be due, in part, to hormones, carcinogenic compounds, and fats found in meat.
10. Heart disease
Eating lots of red meat and full-fat dairy foods as part of a high-protein diet may lead to heart disease. This could be related to higher intakes of saturated fat and cholesterol.
According studies, eating large amounts of red meat and high-fat dairy was shown to increase the risk of coronary heart disease in women.
Eating poultry, fish, and nuts lowered the risk. The study also showed that long-term consumption of red meat can increase trimethylamine N-oxide (TMAO), a gut-generated chemical that is linked to heart disease. Findings also showed that reducing or eliminating dietary red meat reversed the effects.
Culled from Bustle and Healthline
