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the consumption of meat effects on the planet
Environmental impact of meat essay
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In his article titled “Emotions, Truths And Meanings Regarding Cattle: Should We Eat Meat?” he states that eating meat is responsible for more greenhouse gases than transportation, land is destroyed through erosion by overuse, water and grain is wasted feeding animals instead of starving people, and fertilizers and pesticides used by farmers are ruining the environment (Korthals 625). Despite all this, Korthals stills believes there are many positive aspects of livestock farming that should not be abandoned. He says, “Do we not lose an important aspect of human–animal relationship, and livestock, when we reduce the use of meat to zero? Are pigs not just the animals par excellence to devour waste in a sustainable way? And when a cows eat grass, which no man can eat, will that not change the conversion?” (Korthals 627). Moreover, by taking advantage of the many useful things the bodies of livestock can offer us, the environment benefits and meat eaters benefit by gaining higher nutritional value than can be found in vegetables (Korthals 627). In …show more content…
This study was conducted by M. L. Bradlee, M. R. Singer, and L. L. Moore for a journal on nutrition and dietetics. They found that
Consuming higher amounts of lean red meat had no adverse effect on lipid levels, particularly when eaten as a part of a dietary pattern, as characterized by higher intakes of fruits and nonstarchy vegetables. Girls with higher intakes of both lean red meat and fruit/ nonstarchy vegetables had slightly higher HDL-C levels, as well as the lowest LDL: HDL ratio. (Bradlee et al 295)
HDL-C stands for high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, which is advantageous to the body, and LDL stands for low density lipoprotein cholesterol, which is bad for the body. In other words, consuming meat did not affect lipid levels, and combining a meat and vegetable diet actually benefitted cholesterol levels in the
This article details the benefits of a primarily vegetarian diet in primary prevention of heart disease.
Rachel K. Johnson, a spokesperson for the American Heart Association and professor of nutrition and Medicine at the University of Vermont says, “[Your risk of heart disease reduces] because of the fatty red meats and many processed meats that are high in saturated fat, which raises LDL cholesterol which increases risk of coronary heart disease.” Being vegetarian doesn’t just help women with heart disease, but it helps with so much more. For one it helps lower your blood pressure, in a research that was done on a group of people it was found that only vegetarians were found with the lowest blood pressure (Alexandra p.1). Secondly it helps lower the risk of death. A 2013 study showed that more than 70,000 people found that vegetarians had a twelve percent lower risk of death compared with non-vegetarians (Alexandra p.2) With the absence of the saturated fat and cholesterol that clogs arteries, vegetarians are at a lower risk for chronic disease overall. Thirdly, when being a vegetarian you are also in a better mood. “ A 2012 study randomly split participants into three diets: all-meat allowed, fish-only and vegetarian no-meat. The researchers found that after two weeks, the people on the vegetarian diet reported more mood improvements than those on the other two diets.”(Alexandra p.3). Being a vegetarian also gives you a less risk of being over weight, which we all know has been one of the biggest problems here in America. Too many people are overweight and are not doing
The people they used for the big stories in this film had some sort of health issues already. They picked from ones that had high risks for heart disease or type two diabetes. They didn’t use people who aren’t at a high risk and don’t need to switch their diet. They failed at showing a direct link between how someone’s health is increased from eliminating meat. It only used people whose diets were full of junk food, not just meat. HB (1991), “Canadians are becoming increasingly aware of the importance of nutrition in their long-term health prospects. With this increased awareness, however, has come an abundance of misconceptions including the notion that meat is "bad" for you. In their haste to avoid saturated fat, physicians and the public alike have lost sight of the fact that lean meat in reasonable serving sizes poses no threat to health and is an extremely important source of many nutrients.” We heard plenty of stories of people who were on the verge of getting a heart disease, or had even had a heart attack or two. No one they used was on a normal diet who ate meat. Forks Over Knives (2011), “On my way over I drank these two red bulls, I also had a twelve-ounce coke and another half of a twelve-ounce coke. I haven’t always lived the healthiest life style, and I’ve eaten more than my share of fast food.” But one thing that stood out to me was the people they showed the results
Grass fed beef has higher omega 3 fats, which is really good for people’s bodies. Omegas have many benefits but one is that they lower triglycerides levels which can lower the chance of heart disease. Even though beef is high in omega 3’s people still argue that it still has saturated fat which isn’t good for the body. This is because saturated fats causes heart disease. This is the reason some doctors advise their patients to eat white meat such as chicken breast because its leaner and has less saturated fat. It turns out in recent studies that health professionals found out that saturated fat has no link to heart disease. In the “American Journal Clinical Nutritional journal” the study indicates, “A meta- analysis of prospective epidemiologic studies showed that there is no significant evidence for concluding that dietary saturated fat is associated with an increased risk of CHD or CVD”.” The second argument people say why red meat is not good is because red meat can cause colon cancer. Although in recent research it shows that the increase risk of colorectal cancer by eating more red meat is actually low. In the “Red meat and colorectal cancer: a critical summary of prospective epidemiologic studies” the study said “Collinearity between red meat intake and other dietary factors and behavioral factors limit the ability to analytically isolate the the independent effects of red meat consumption.” (Alexander, Cushing) This means that we can not solely blame beef, which is red meat for colon cancer because too many factors play a role in causing colon cancer. There is not a significant amount of evidence that proves red meat causes colon
Wyness, L, et al. “Red meat in the diet: an update” British Nutrition Foundation: Nutrition Bulletin 36.1 (2011): 39-71. Web. 21 Apr. 2014.
There are also environmental and economic reasons for becoming vegetarian. Some people are not aware of these reasons, but a lot of environmental destruction is linked to meat production, especially cattle farming. Huge areas of f...
People love to eat meat. For over two million years, humans have relied on eating meat in order to survive or simply just because they enjoy the taste. Early humans had more powerful jaws and larger teeth and relied on meat as one of their main sources of food. As evolution took place and humans evolved, they developed smaller teeth and were only able to eat the meat if it was cooked. With humans evolving and being able to survive on foods other than meat, meat does not have to necessarily be a part of human diet anymore. Although many people have opted for a vegetarian lifestyle, most people still continue to eat meat and do not consider it a cruel act. Many have also stopped eating meat due health risks and environmental concern. Whether
The issue of meat consumption has been a controversial topic on whether to allow the practice or discontinue it, non-meat eaters argue it’s unethical because it is abusive to animals. On the other hand, meat consumers argue that eating meat is ethical as long as meat eaters are conscious of how their meat is collected and the treatment of livestock is fair. The consumption of meat is an act that an individual decides whether to partake in or not. Therefore, the option of eating meat should not be completely taken away, but it should be limited. Eating meat ties in with vegetarian and vegan diets, in the sense that both have to follow guidelines to create an ethical approach to eating any grown foods. The consumption of food is ethical when
Cardiovascular health, including heart disease, is one such aspect positively affected by vegetarian diets. Heart disease is a widespread problem, so extensive that it is the number one cause of death in America. A major cause of heart disease is hardening of the arteries, also called atherosclerosis. This occurs when plaque from high fat or high cholesterol diets builds up on the inside of arteries causing increased strain on the heart, and blood clots if the plaque breaks from the artery wall. Atherosclerosis is also the most common cause of heart attacks. Vegetarian diets have shown to be effective at preventing heart problems, because they tend to be lower in fat and cholesterol, leading to less buildup on the artery walls. “Cardiovascular risk (CVR) is significantly decreased among vegetarians because of a diet high in ...
Today people are concerned with what they eat in order to lose or maintain their weight. What people do not know is how their food is obtained, how veganism is beneficial to their health and what the food industry thinks of vegans. Veganism is the avoidance of any animal products particularly food. Veganism confronts the issues of animal welfare as well as dietary concerns for humans. It is an effective method to live a healthy and humane lifestyle.
The first benefit to being a vegetarian is health reasons. Recent research studies have shown that vegetarians have better health than people who eat meat. The risk of a disease is less likely when being a vegetarian. For example, vegetarians have a lower rate of gallstones, kidney stones, cancer, diabetes, high blood pressure, and colon disease. Studies have also shown that not only does a vegetarian diet have a greater chance of preventing these diseases but becoming a vegetarian can sometimes even cure these diseases. In a study conducted by Dr. Ornish from the University of California, he found that a vegetarian diet is also good for unclogging arteries of patients with very serious heart disease. The American Medical Association announced, in 1961, that heart disease, which is the cause of over half of deaths in the United States, could be eliminated by a vegetarian diet. The AMA has also reported that a high saturated fat diet is a key component to high levels of the diagnosis of coronary heart disease. The reason for vegetarians less risk for heart disease ...
As we can now observe, vegetarianism has become something fashionable, and the number of people who reject eating meat is constantly increasing. In Britain, for instance, over 5 million people have done it so far. It is obviously connected with the recent animal diseases, but this tendency is likely to spread on the other regions of the world. However, it is not only a fashion or fear of illnesses. I myself became a vegetarian about 2 years ago, and I can see a number of reasons why people should stop eating meat. They are mainly of ethic, economic and health type. Those who think in an ecological way should also be aware of how this meat consumption ruins our environment. I don’t have an intention to force anybody to become a vegetarian, but I hope that my argumentation would be strong enough to make some people think about it, at least. In this essay I will try to present this point of view, expressing my personal feelings and showing scientific facts about the problem.
When these agricultural resources are given to the animals involved in meat production, these resources are lost. Besides the loss of land, the process of animal production is contributing to pollution and other greenhouse gases that are doing irreplaceable damage to the environment and contribute to untold negative health
The health benefits of a vegetarian diet are hard to ignore. Vegetarians have a lower chance of developing many diseases, such as cancer and diabetes. Women who eat meat daily are more likely to develop breast cancer. According to an article in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute, “consumption of well-done meats and, thus, exposures to heterocyclic amines (or other compounds) formed during high-temperature cooking may play an important role in the risk of breast cancer.” Men are also more than almost more likely to develop prostate cancer than those who do not include meat in their everyday diets. “Up to 80 percent of prostate cancer is attributed to dietary practices, and international comparisons show strong positive associations with meat consumption” (Alexander, 2010). Vegetarians have also shown to have lower blood pressure, better digestion, and more energy than humans with a meat based diet. The effects of a vegetarian life style ...
Vegetarians tend to be healthier than those who consume meat. This is due to the prevalent unnatural chemicals used in the processing of meats, and eating these are unsuitable for the body. Meats already contain harmful amounts of cholesterol, and over-consumption of red meat can lead to early heart disease. Animals that are raised on farms for their meat are not treated well, and this mistreatment can lead to harm in the meat they are producing. Although one life choice cannot change one’s environmental