Health consequences of eating too much meat. Can we eat meat every day, and how will that affect our health? Eating a lot of meat as well as many other products is harmful if we consume them excessively.
For most people, eating a moderate amount of meat as part of a balanced diet is healthy.
However, excessive amounts of meat, especially red processed meats that are high in fat, can cause side effects, as well as long-term health risks.
Is the meat healthy?
Meat has always been one of the basic foods of the people. Meat has never been so cheap and available in such masses as today.
According to the World Agriculture Report, global meat consumption has more than tripled in the last 40 years. For example, in 2012, 300 million tons of meat ended up in cooking utensils.
Much of this falls on industrialized countries. Every German eats an average of almost 60 kilograms of meat a year. Americans even eat about 120 kilograms. According to experts, this is too much.
Is the meat healthy?
Meat is an important food. It provides a lot of valuable proteins, vitamins, and large amounts of iron.
But depending on the type of meat and the type of product, too much fat, salt, preservatives, and sometimes antibiotics are also added to the meat.
There is also a suspicion that there is a link between consuming large amounts of meat with certain diseases such as Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s disease, and cancer.
Eating a lot of meat leads to digestive problems, sweating, fatigue, increased chances of cancer, and other harmful consequences.
11 Bad effects of eating too much meat
In today’s article, you will find out what are the harmful effects of eating meat.
1. Eating a lot of meat causes increased sweating
If you have eaten a large amount of meat, you may have noticed the phenomenon called “meat sweats”. Simply put, it means sweating caused by eating meat.
Although this type of sweating has not been specifically analyzed, the mechanism and cause behind it is very well known.
When we eat, the body must invest some of its energy in digesting and processing food. This process is called food-induced thermogenesis, which can raise body temperature slightly.
Our body consumes the most energy to digest protein.
Therefore, protein-rich foods may have a greater effect on thermogenesis than, for example, a salad plate or spaghetti.
2. Feeling tired after a big meal with meat
As the food is digested, the body directs blood flow to the stomach to prioritize the process. It practically means redirecting it from other parts of the body, including the brain.
All of this can easily lead to the dizziness we usually feel after a hearty meal.
These symptoms occur not only after meals with a large amount of meat but also after unbalanced meals.
Such meals, in addition to meat, are those with too many carbohydrates or fats that cause a sharp rise in blood sugar and insulin levels.
In addition, some meats such as beef and turkey have high levels of tryptophan.
Tryptophan is an amino acid associated with the production of melatonin, the human sleep-regulating hormone.
3. Eating a lot of meat causes poor digestion due to a lack of fiber
One of the consequences of eating too much meat is that it is likely to eat less than other foods.
Consuming a lot of meat will cause us to eat less whole grain foods and fresh produce.
This can easily result in a feeling of bloating and lead to constipation or diarrhea due to impaired digestion.
Meat contains many nutrients, but one of the most important is missing – and that is fiber. Fiber is indigestible is key to digestion and regulating blood sugar.
4. Dehydration of the body if we eat a lot of meat
The body needs a large amount of water to process meat protein. Therefore, frequent consumption of a lot of meat can cause dehydration of the body.
If we eat a lot of meat, the body will start burning its own fat reserves, breaking them into small pieces – ketones.
The increased amount of ketones in the body affects the increased work of the kidneys, which consume a lot of water. The result of this process is dehydration of the body.
5. Too much meat can slow down weight loss
A protein-dominated diet helps you lose weight by not getting full after eating. However, not everything is so rosy, there are some shortcomings that we need to know.
Certain types of meat can be extremely high in calories. Which means they have a lot more calories in one bite than vegetables.
Such are mostly fatty meats or processed products such as restaurant burgers, bacon, etc. Thus, if you want to lose weight, it is recommended to eat lean meat such as poultry, fish, etc.
Many people strongly adhere to the theory that higher protein intake will have better results in the gym.
This is true, but if you eat too much protein or meat, it can have the opposite effect. Then you start to gain weight because the body stores them in adipose tissue.
6. May increase the risk of cardiovascular disease and certain cancers
Unfortunately, processed meats such as bacon, hot dogs, and delicacies are especially harmful.
The reason lies in the fact that most of them are treated with chemical preservatives.
Chemical preservatives are dangerous to health because they increase the risk of cancer of the colon, kidneys, and stomach.
7. Nails and hair will not look good
If you eat too much meat, you logically probably eat less other nutrients, such as vitamin C.
Vitamin C, which is almost non-existent in meat and plays a major role in creating collagen, which is responsible for strong nails, hair, and skin.
If you are deficient in vitamin C, you may start to notice changes in your body.
8. More meat means more viruses
The skin is not the only place where you will see a lack of vitamin C.
If you have been carrying a cold for a long time and there is no way to cure it, you need to change your eating habits.
For example, if you are on a keto diet, you do not get enough fruit which is the best source of vitamin C,
At the same time, you will need to fight viruses for a long time, which are becoming more common because the immunity is weaker.
9. Consuming a lot of meat leads to constipation
That’s right, if you have reduced your intake of fruits, vegetables, and cereals and increased your intake of meat that has almost no fiber, you probably have a problem with digestion and constipation.
Fix it by eating healthy and complex carbohydrates, grains, fruits, and vegetables.
Re-intake of fruits and vegetables is the best source of fiber and the best friend in dealing with constipation.
10. Too much meat causes bloating
You can easily notice for yourself that you are bloated after every meal with meat. It should be a clear sign of malabsorption and that the body fails to process this food properly.
In general, the feeling that you feel bad after eating meat is a clear sign that you need to recognize.
So you should try, at least briefly, to remove the meat from the menu, in order to see if you will be better off without it.
11. A lot of meat affects the health of children
Too much meat speeds up the onset of puberty! Moderate consumption is especially important in children’s diets
Nearly 50 percent of girls who ate more than 12 meat meals a week at the age of seven got their first period before the age of twelve.
A study conducted at the British University of Brighton found that girls between the ages of three and seven who ate the most meat were more likely to get their first period before the age of 12 than girls who ate less meat.
Almost half (49%) of girls who ate more than 12 meat meals a week at the age of seven had their first period before the age of 12, while girls who ate less than four meat meals a week had a percentage of about 35%.
Dr. Imogen Rodgers, from the Faculty of Pharmacy and Biomolecular Sciences at the university, comments:
These results contribute to the growing evidence that it is healthiest to avoid many meat dishes.
But Dr. Rogers noted that meat is a good source of many nutrients and warned that there is no reason for girls to switch to vegetarianism and that moderate consumption of meat is especially important in children’s diets.
The study, published in the medical journal Public Health Nutrition, is funded by the World Cancer Research Foundation.
A few more harmful effects of consuming meat
Headache – Reduced carbohydrate intake can cause headaches. Headaches get worse with increasing carbohydrate and protein intake.
Heartbeat – Refers to a strong, irregular, and fast heartbeat which, among other things, is a consequence of too much protein.
Kidney stones – By ingesting protein through red or white meat in the body, we also ingest a greater amount of oxygen. The result is the production of excess calcium, which the body tries to expel through the kidneys.
Bad breath – It is a sign that the body has difficulty processing meat. If the meat is not well digested, it will affect the breath, but also other body odors.
How much is the recommended daily amount of meat
Basically, there is nothing wrong with the regular consumption of meat?
However, it should not be more than two to three times a week on the menu. It also depends on what type of meat is consumed and whether it is eaten with or without skin.
For example, beef has a relatively low-fat content of 8.5 percent on average. In pork, the fillet has only two percent fat.
Poultry should always be eaten skinless. For example, roast chicken with skin has about 9.6 percent fat, without skin only one percent.
Meat or sausage?
In general, steaks, steaks, and meatballs are preferred for processed meat, ie sausage.
A recent study from Boston Harvard School of Public Health found that consuming 50 grams of processed meat a day was enough to increase the risk of diabetes by 19 percent and the risk of heart disease by 42 percent.
Conclusion
We all eat meat more or less in our daily diet. Moderate eating of meat is a healthy option because our body needs protein. Eating too much meat can cause certain health problems.
Eating a lot of meat leads to weight problems, digestion, dehydration and increases the chances of colon, kidney, and stomach cancer.
So eat meat but in moderation, with a balanced diet along with vegetables and fruits.
