updated April 2019
first published autumn 2018
first published autumn 2018
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| An estimated 90+% of people in the UK are meat-eaters (Stock cartoon) |
Veganism is fashionable.
But is veganism sensible?
It could be argued that the vegan movement has become a kind of mania that has the public wondering if meat could - or should - be replaced by plant food.
And eating vegan has become big business. Millions of dollars are currently being invested in plant 'burgers' by the likes of Bill Gates and Goldman Sachs.
This (necessarily) brief editorial looks at the arguments for and against meat eating. It asks whether we're right to judge the value of foods on protein content, or should it be based on the presence of essential amino acids? Is it possible to be an ethical meat eater? What are the benefits of meat on human health and the environment, and the drawbacks? Eating more plant food is healthy and sensible but will vegan activism actually damage the meat industry?
Going vegan has seen the development of more ersatz 'meats' based on plants and could result in welcome changes in factory farming. But...the end of real meat?
67 doesn't think so.
The thing is, huge amounts of different plant foods are needed to supply the same nutrients as animal protein.
Take steak, for example. Steak is nutrient dense. To get the same amount of protein as a 226gm/8oz steak, you'd need to consume roughly 7 1/2 eggs. Or 2-3 bananas + a bag of spinach for iron + ...a whole load of several other different plant foods to get the same amount of vitamins, minerals, protein and amino acids.
That's why when Vegans say 'Beef has 6.4grams of protein/100 calories and Broccoli has 11.1gms of protein/100 calories', it's necessary to stop and think. And be aware that one cup of broccoli contains only 31 calories, which means more than 3 cups of broccoli must be eaten to get the same protein as meat.
Furthermore, proteins from different sources are not equal.
Much more important is the full package of amino acids which are essential for the care and maintenance of body and mind. Meat, eggs and dairy products are the main sources of foods that provide all of the amino acids AND are more quickly absorbed.
Generally, plants need to be teamed up with other plants to provide the full range of essential amino acids. It's said that tofu, seitan (wheat gluten), quinoa, chia seeds and hemp seeds provide the same amino acids as meat but are they of the same high-quality as amino acids from meat products? With the vegan vs meat debate still running high, it's not clear.
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| Vegan acquaintances - nice,normal people - swear by seitan 'meats' like this fried 'chicken' |
Wheat Seitan is not suitable at all for the gluten-intolerant, and spelt seitan does not score highly against meat.
As for quinoa, 67 is unable/unwilling to eat quinoa due to its bitter taste and chia & hemp seed have been too esoteric and pricey to experiment with.
Tofu teamed with grains seems a reliable, easily accessible alternative to meat but doesn't offer the variety of animal products.
Other reasons to eat animal protein:
- Iron: Iron from animal products is easier for the body to absorb than plant iron because only life forms like beef, pork, poultry and fish have haemoglobin
- Vitamin B12. This important vitamin keeps nerve and blood cells funtioning. The effects of lack of B12 are scary - they mimic Alzheimers & MS. Some people are unable to convert plant B12 into the B12 needed by the body. As for B12 supplements, some research indicates they might have little value.
- Brain power: Meat made humans smarter. When humans began to eat meat, their guts got smaller, allowing more energy to flow to the brain
Correcting Vegan excuses for not eating meat
- Ethics aren't just for vegans; you can be an ethical meat eater by avoiding factory farming
- Plants have memory and the ability to communicate with one another
- Contrary to what vegetarian/vegans say, human bodies are designed for meat-eating. Human digestive tracts are intermediate-sized while plant eaters have big chambers in the stomach to digest the large quantities of plant materials needed to survive
- Human jaws have canines; plant eaters do not
- The recommended meat substitute, wheat gluten, is notoriously difficult to work with and clearly not suitable for the gluten intolerant. Moreover, it's not very healthy. Commercially prepared seitan contains up to 100mg of sodium per ounce. Deep frying the gluten adds, per teaspoon of fat absorbed, 4.5grams of fat.
- Vegans say the ratio of plant foods used to produce meat is 5-1 but that ratio only works if measuring human food for animals. If livestock is fed its intended diet -- grass -- the ratio is 1:4
- Raising livestock does require land but it includes areas not suitable for anything else.
- Water usage for the rearing of animals obviously varies greatly depending on location
- According to vegan friends, bacon made from wheat glutin/seitan is a great substitute for proper bacon. No one has yet come up with a vegan replacement for ribs.
The methane question
It is not easy getting one's head around the issue of methane from livestock, not least because figures are so often taken out of context and are increasingly politicised.
Eco-activists have recently focused on levels of methane produced by livestock to justify their intimidation of livestock producers. This followed a claim by the Intergovernmental Panel for Climate Change (IPCC-UN) that growing herds of cattle are the greatest threat to climates, forests and wildlife.
Eco-activists have recently focused on levels of methane produced by livestock to justify their intimidation of livestock producers. This followed a claim by the Intergovernmental Panel for Climate Change (IPCC-UN) that growing herds of cattle are the greatest threat to climates, forests and wildlife.
Eco-activists have form; they have long viewed meat production as one of the pillars of capitalism which they would like to see toppled. The IPCC has not always been editorially balanced where global warming is concerned.
Not long ago, activists claimed increasing livestock production globally (to feed increased population) is producing higher-than-thought amounts of damage from methane (and of course, we're all gonna die unless meat production stops! Yesterday if possible.)
In 2017, the IPCC said they had 'revised estimates' of the damage caused by methane gases; it was, they said, 11% higher than thought. It's scientifically accepted that methane holds more heat than CO2. According to IPCC 'models' methane was thus 'worse' in its effects than carbon dioxide. And was 11% higher. Even though methane dissipates faster than CO2, which sticks around forever.
Global Warming data can be confusing. The IPCC blamed livestock/agriculture for 18% of total greenhouse gases. But half of that figure is due to deforestation for food production. The other half, 9%, is methane emissions but only half of that figure comes from livestock production. The rest comes from peatlands, wetlands, termites, decaying landfill and production of coal, oil and natural gas. So based on those figures - and 67 may be wrong - methane gases from livestock is actually 4.5% of total greenhouse gases. (By the way, the biggest culprits for global warning are said to be travel and industrialisation.)
Confused? One wonders whether it is deliberate.
A more detailed analysis required more research and thought than available but if you're interested, try Sceptical Science Nov 2016.
Confused? One wonders whether it is deliberate.
A more detailed analysis required more research and thought than available but if you're interested, try Sceptical Science Nov 2016.
67 is more certain of the benefits of eating and raising meat
Eating meat: benefits
- steadies blood sugar
- creates a feeling of fullness that prevents binge eating
- repairs muscles
- helps burn fat (30%) during digestion
- creates longer-lasting energy
Raising meat: benefits
- animals can graze where plant food won't grow; in some cases raising livestock has lower environmental impact than growing a field of greens
- fertilises soil
- eliminates some pests & predators
- food waste and dairy whey provides food for animals rather than being discarded
- locally raised meat is better environmentally than plant food that's travelled hundreds of miles
BUT...
All the above is true and supports continued meat eating but there are caveats.
1. Factory Farming
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| (Stock photo) |
Factory farming is a problem. In modern food production animals are raised in conditions so crowded, antibiotics have to be administered to prevent disease. Sometimes growth hormones are used to increase size. It is hard not to be distressed by the transport of live animals in crowded cages, even if the animals look sleek, healthy and well cared for.
If the vegan movement does only one thing - that is, to put the kaibosh on the worst excesses of factory farming - then we can all be pleased and relieved. Prices of meat may go up but so will well-being. We don't need as much protein as we think we do and it doesn't all have to come from animal sources. We'll get used to buying better meat and eating less of it.
In the meantime, there are plenty of inexpensive alternatives to factory farmed meat. Game birds, especially pheasant & partridge, offer good value (See comments section this blog) and if you know someone who shoots ethically, you may even find yourself with free game. Venison is a low-fat meat, though you need to find out if has been raised wild or farmed, and if farmed, in what conditions. Venison prices are lower these days but not exactly frugal. Ditto popular wild boar and other esoteric meats like ostrich.
Organic meat is freely available and though expensive, organic butchers have no qualms about selling small joints. At Christmas last year you could buy a single organic turkey leg or wing and sometimes half a breast.
2. Some meats specifically - and too much meat generally - are not good for you
A huge joint American-British-Chinese research project called The China Diet (published 2005) concluded that people who avoid or reduce animal products and refined carbs can escape, reduce or reverse numerous diseases associated with western diets (heart disease, diabetes).
(The research did not involved conventional double-blind experiments but the Chinese diet during the study was so different from that of the west, the conclusions were considered safe.)
It's now accepted that eating high levels of processed meat is one the biggest culprits associated with disease but red meat, with relatively high levels of saturated fat, also came under fire.
Shoppers have been encouraged to eat more white meat (chicken, lean pork) and 'wild' meat (game, venison).
67goingon50, since its inception, follows this guidance, often replacing beef with turkey in sassy & appetising sauces. But because nothing tastes as good as beef and lamb, 67 has also developed cooking methods which remove fat without affecting taste or texture.
Recently (Oct 2019), a new review of the best available evidence concluded the risk to eating red and processed meats was so small, people did not need to cut back and could continue as normal. (The review had no primary funding.)
Dr Michael Mosley, the UK's diet guru, believes the biggest link to cancer is being overweight; it's not what you eat but how much you eat.
It has to be said, though...
Much of recent research showing links between, say bacon and cancer are based on ridiculous assumptions about the frequency of consumption. How many people, for example, eat a couple of rashers of bacon every day? Given the price of beef, how many tuck into a steak more than once a fortnight (if that)?
And it has to be acknowledged...the meat industry has been the target of hard-left vegans for years. They consider the meat industry one of the supporting foundations of capitalism and hope to eventually bring it down.
2. Some meats specifically - and too much meat generally - are not good for you
A huge joint American-British-Chinese research project called The China Diet (published 2005) concluded that people who avoid or reduce animal products and refined carbs can escape, reduce or reverse numerous diseases associated with western diets (heart disease, diabetes).
(The research did not involved conventional double-blind experiments but the Chinese diet during the study was so different from that of the west, the conclusions were considered safe.)
It's now accepted that eating high levels of processed meat is one the biggest culprits associated with disease but red meat, with relatively high levels of saturated fat, also came under fire.
Shoppers have been encouraged to eat more white meat (chicken, lean pork) and 'wild' meat (game, venison).
67goingon50, since its inception, follows this guidance, often replacing beef with turkey in sassy & appetising sauces. But because nothing tastes as good as beef and lamb, 67 has also developed cooking methods which remove fat without affecting taste or texture.
Recently (Oct 2019), a new review of the best available evidence concluded the risk to eating red and processed meats was so small, people did not need to cut back and could continue as normal. (The review had no primary funding.)
Dr Michael Mosley, the UK's diet guru, believes the biggest link to cancer is being overweight; it's not what you eat but how much you eat.
It has to be said, though...
Much of recent research showing links between, say bacon and cancer are based on ridiculous assumptions about the frequency of consumption. How many people, for example, eat a couple of rashers of bacon every day? Given the price of beef, how many tuck into a steak more than once a fortnight (if that)?
And it has to be acknowledged...the meat industry has been the target of hard-left vegans for years. They consider the meat industry one of the supporting foundations of capitalism and hope to eventually bring it down.
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| (stock photo) |
Veganism is of this time, born of youthful idealism and enthusiastic health consciousness. The 21st Century has arrived. Where all this vegan vs meat battle will end is unclear.
For now, ride the trend. Incorporate much more plant food in your diet; maybe restrict consumption of animal products to 2-3 times a week. It will save money and create the groundwork for graceful ageing.
But remember: no matter how strong the trend to veganism, the majority of people will rely on regular animal products for good nutrition and good health.
For now, ride the trend. Incorporate much more plant food in your diet; maybe restrict consumption of animal products to 2-3 times a week. It will save money and create the groundwork for graceful ageing.
But remember: no matter how strong the trend to veganism, the majority of people will rely on regular animal products for good nutrition and good health.
Sources:https://www.vrg.org/recipes/vjseitan.htmhttp://www.beefmagazine.com/blog/are-vegetable-proteins-equal-protein-beefhttps://www.popsci.com/vegetarian-environment-healthhttps://www.vrg.org/recipes/vjseitan.htmhttps://www.fitday.com/fitness-articles/fitness/5-tips-for-taking-your-crossfit-workout-home-with-you.htmlhttp://www.beefmagazine.com/blog/are-vegetable-proteins-equal-protein-beefhttps://nutritionstudies.org/animal-vs-plant-protein/https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/animal-vs-plant-protein#section5B Lee/Bright Sun Enterprises accept no liability for the consequences of any actions taken on the basis of the information provided.
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