Why Should I Eat Meat?

It is so interesting to see how vastly different the world is from one country to another. In most countries where starvation is a major problem, the situation could be drastically improved just by adding a few ounces of meat to their diet each day. Of course this would not solve every problem, but it would give them the adequate protein they need in order for their body to grow healthily. In contrast, in the United States and other developed countries, the majority of people eat far more meat than they need nutritionally. This is not necessarily a problem, except it can lead to excess calorie and fat consumption as well.

Nutritionally, meat is a wonderful thing. It is the easiest way for our bodies to get the right kind of protein in the right amount (for more on protein, refer back to my post on protein by following this link). What does that mean? Well, put simply, the same molecules (called amino acids) that make up the steak you ate for dinner will be making up your muscles, enzymes, and other tissues within a few hours. The type of protein found in meat is the kind our body needs. Can we get it from other sources? Yes, but then it becomes more complicated because plant sources are not an exact match of what we need. Therefore, you'll have to mix and match different grains and beans in order to get all of the amino acids your body needs to build its own proteins.

For those of us who eat meat everyday, this may not seem that important.  But if you take a look around the world at populations that live mostly on one type of grain, you can see what affect this can have. They are not getting all of the amino acids they need, and therefore their body cannot grow. Children in these countries are stunted (short for their age) and extremely skinny (for pictures click here). We are very blessed to have access to the meat our body needs around the corner at the local grocery store.

What else is good about meat? Well, it is rich in iron that can easily be absorbed. Iron is important especially in our blood. It helps our blood cells carry oxygen from our lungs to our tissues so they can live. Pretty important! Also, it contains vitamin B12 (ONLY found in meat and dairy products) which is essential for proper nerve function. Without it, you could lose your ability to feel, become paralyzed, and even die. It also helps keep your blood cells healthy, so without it you can get pernicious anemia, a very dangerous condition of the blood.

So, it's pretty obvious that meat is a good thing (at least for our bodies). However, you may have heard on the news lately that frequent consumption of red meat can be a bad thing. For more details on that, check out WebMD's article here: http://www.webmd.com/food-recipes/features/the-truth-about-red-meat. My advice is simple: Eat red meat sparingly, maybe once or twice a week, and get the rest of your meat from lean sources including chicken, pork, turkey, and ESPECIALLY fish. If you're not a meat fan, eggs are a great source of protein too. And don't forget to drink your milk!

-Kamie