Without animals, our entire ecosystem and our health will fall apart.
On October 1, 2019 a “controversial” study was published in the Annals of Internal Medicine titled “Effect of Lower versus Higher Read Meat Intake on Cardiometabolic and Cancer Outcomes: A Systemic Review of Randomized Trials”. The review evaluated the data of 12 randomized studies on red meat and health outcomes. Reviewers found there was little to no connection between red meat and an increased risk of heart disease and cancer, despite years of recommendations to limit red meat for health reasons.
So, what gives? Why have we been told to avoid red meat if it’s not the cause of chronic illness?
The explanation can be found in the first paragraph of the study “Such recommendations are primarily based on observational studies that are at high risk for confounding.” Basically, observational studies, although they can point us in in the direction of a possible connection between two variables, should not be used to make black and white recommendations about anything.
Statistics 101: Correlation is not Causation.
Just because something is linked to something else, doesn’t necessarily meant it caused that result. My favorite example is this:
Let’s move on. In their evaluation of the randomized trials (considered the “gold standard”) that ranged in size from 32 to 48,835 participants, cohort studies, and basically every single research paper related to red meat consumption, there was little to no connection between red meat intake and cardiovascular morality, CVD, MI, stroke, or type 2 diabetes. Red meat also had very low to no effect on cancer mortality or the risk of developing multiple types of cancer. They also found that there was no evidence that red meat intake had any impact on quality of life or general health.
The results of this study have been poorly received by many of the health and nutrition authorities who have been on the “less red meat” soapbox for years. The findings have been called “inconsistent with the guidelines of clinical practice of ‘first do no harm’” by the Harvard School of Public Health. Organizations like the American Heart Association, the American Cancer Society, the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics have all sided with Harvard University. True Health Initiative along with the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine (PCRM) are so threatened by the idea that red meat isn’t as bad as they thought, that they’re petitioning the Federal Trade Commission and cherry-picking specific studies that support their ideology, instead of considering the entire body of evidence, which doesn’t point to red meat as the dietary villain it’s been made out to be.
As an RD, this research is a welcome change from the constant vilification of meat that occurs in the media and among health professionals. I am happy to see the tides changing in terms of meat and health. I have always supported eating real food, like vegetables and meat for many reasons. In addition to the findings in this review, here are 11 reasons why I am a pro-meat RD:
1. Protein
Protein is the most important macronutrient. The body cannot make the 9 essential amino acids that must come from the diet. Other than pure nutritional need, protein serves many other positive functions for health.
Protein is the most satiating of the macronutrients. Intakes of 15% – 30% of total calories can be helpful in regulating appetite by increasing leptin sensitivity, inducing weight loss, and promoting blood sugar control.
Eating more, not less protein not only is essential, but also may be helpful to slowing the obesity and diabetes epidemic we are facing. Meat is a high quality source of protein. Eating meat makes it effortless to meet daily protein needs. You might think or have been led to believe we are eating too much meat, but I disagree. Americans only eat less than 2oz of beef per day. What is the optimal amount of protein? Check out this post I wrote explaining how much we need (it’s more than the RDA, and likely more than you think).
2. Nutrient Density
Meat is not just high in protein. It is also a source of many nutrients that are simply not available in plants. Meat provides B12, highly absorbable heme iron, preformed vitamin, all the essential amino acids, zinc, EPA, DHA, vitamin D, and vitamin K2, none of which are found in plant foods. Plants provide important antioxidants, vitamin C, and fiber. We need this variety of nutrients to survive. An omnivorous diet is simply the best diet for optimal nutrition, hands down.
Even though chicken and beef are both quality sources of protein, beef simply blows chicken away in the nutrient department. It has significantly more B12, zinc, choline, iron, and potassium. In terms of micronutrients, chicken only has more B3 than beef. Recommending people reduce beef intake and replace it with chicken or vegetables, is asking them to reduce the nutrient quality of their diets.
3. Vitamin B12
Vitamin B12 is only found in animal foods. B12 deficiency, which is common in vegetarians and vegans, has been shown as an independent risk factor for coronary artery disease and serious neurological disorders in infants of vegan mothers.
4. Fat
Fats, especially saturated fat, have long been the villain of the nutrition world. They have been blamed as the cause for all diseases and the reason we are obese.
Fats serve many purposes for our health. The brain is made up of mostly fat. Fat is needed for insulation to keep us warm and protect our organs. They also act as chemical messengers, control growth, help with immune function, and normal reproduction. They provide essential fatty acids and help with the absorption of fat soluble vitamin A, D, E, and K.
Saturated fat is by far the most vilified as the main cause of high cholesterol and heart disease. It does raise cholesterol, but usually raises HDL cholesterol. There has actually been no connection found between saturated fat intake and heart disease. The vilification of the type of fat that is primarily found in meat, is completely unfounded.
5. Iron
Meat contains heme iron, the most absorbable type of iron. Iron-deficiency anemia is the most common mineral deficiency in the United States. Iron is particularly important for pregnant women, infants, and children. Iron deficiency in children can lead to permanent intellectual delays.
6. Human Anatomy
Contrary to many internet memes floating around claiming that people only have the anatomy to eat plants, in truth, humans have distinct features that make us able to eat both plants and animals. Our small intestines are longer than the average primate and our colons are smaller. With our larger small intestine, we are adapted to eating more nutrient dense foods like meat and starches, not large volumes of plant foods like our primate relatives. We have canines for meat and flat molars for grinding plants. We also have very smart brains and nimble fingers to use tools very well to hunt and scrape meat off carcasses. We are omnivores, period.
7. Taste & Palatability
Humans love variety in their diets. They naturally crave different flavor combinations and tastes. Meat is highly satisfying when it is included in meals. This is why there’s such a large market for plant-based, fake meat products. Eating real meat actually helps us eat less overall because we are satisfied with the taste and flavor of our food, and our bodies know the nutrients we just consumed are exactly what we need.
8. Ease
Meat is an easy way to consume highly nutritious calories that are satiating and filling. It is simple to prepare and cook. It doesn’t require a large amount of seasoning or fancy cooking methods to taste great. Also, it’s quite inexpensive when you compare the nutrients in it to other foods. I recommend buying the best meat you can afford. This post explains how grass-fed beef is actually less expensive than you might think.
9. The Environment
A food system absent of animals simply does not work. Sustainable, regenerative agriculture involves animals playing a vital role. Synthetic fertilizers are destroying topsoil. Animals may provide a solution to that problem. Grazing enhances soil fertility, increases drought resistance, restores wildlife habitat, and sequesters carbon. Animals are a critical piece of creating a sustainable food system.
10. Ethics & Animal Welfare
Even if we don’t like it, humans are part of the natural ecosystem. Everyone is someone’s dinner. This is not “good” or “bad”. Every animal’s only goal is to survive long enough to reproduce and teach our kids to do the same. A plant-only diet is not a bloodless diet, it may destroy more life than a regenerative, pasture-centric model. Cows are frequently treated better than many other animals, like chickens.
11. Feeding the World
The goal for many is to create a sustainable food system, one which both feeds the population well and can last over centuries. The current popular narrative around our food is that animals must either be removed or dramatically reduced in order to “make it sustainable and feed the world.” But, I believe the most sustainable way forward is expanding the grass centric production of meat and maximizing the energy capture of the sun via photosynthesis, grass and grazing animals. Livestock are also critical to women and children in developing countries.
You’re probably thinking, “But what about the way meat is raised, shouldn’t we eat less meat and more plants?” My answer to this is that plants are also grown in a pretty horrible way in our industrial food system. We need more regenerative agriculture to heal our soil, and this includes animals. I have other posts that address sustainability in depth, and a book and film in the works on this, but the short answer is that we should be looking at what foods are ideal for human health and then figure out how to produce them in the most sustainable way. We aren’t telling people not to eat vegetables unless they’re organic, right? So I don’t feel that it’s ethical to tell people that can’t afford GrassFed beef that they shouldn’t eat meat unless it’s 100% GrassFed. This would be unethical of me as a dietitian. I encourage people to buy the highest quality food they can afford, but if they can’t access organic vegetables or GrassFed beef, that’s OK, these are still healthy foods to eat.
As a RD who also understand the complexities of sustainable food production, I’m in a unique position to turn things around for the health of humans and our planet. I am glad this study has been published to help balance the information about the “dangers” of meat that simply do not exist.
I’m not alone on Team Meat. Below lists many “Real Food” health professionals that also endorse meat.
Dr. Dale Buckman, DNP; Christopher Stadtherr, MD; Ken D. Berry, MD; Dr. Guillermo Rodriguez Navarrete, PhD, FACN, CNS, LDN, RD; Paulette Weber, RD, LD/N, CLT; Joseph Cecava, RD; Dr. Jason Bussanich, DC; Martha Tettenborn, RD; Karine Barlow, RD; Christy Kesslering, MD; Debra L Zelov, BSN; Diane Smith, MS, RN, AHN-BC; Patricia Shenofsky, RN; Sherry Campbell RN, Nutritionist; Emsley Willingham, MPH, RD, LDN; Sarah M. Henderson, MPH, RD; Abigail Wozniak, RDN; Crystal Flores, MS, RDN, CDN; Jenessa Humphrey, RD; Audrey Fleck, MS, RDN; Leighann DeWitt, MS, RDN; Melani A. Harmon, Graduate Nurse; Ashley Daigle, RD; Ted S. Metzger, MD; Tina Jernatowski, MS, RD; Kate Netz, RD; Kristen Davis Lesh, RD; Danielle Aberman, RDN; Gayatri Saldivar, MS, RDN, CLT; Tracey Linneweber, RD; Megan Harper, MS, RD, LD; Ben Sielaff B Pharm – QLD, Australia; Tera Naset, RD; Amanda Austin, RD; Samantha Scruggs, RD; Sarah Palmiero, RD, LD; Alyssa Broadwater MS, RD, LD; Amanda Glibert, RD; Rachel Vanderpool, RD; Ana Reisdorf, RD; Melissa Groves, RD; Abby O’Malley, RD; Collette Sinnott, RD; Aglaée Jacob, RD; Jacqueline Slomin, RD; Heather Pavlik, RD; Dana Elia, RD; Kathleen Standafer Lopez, RD; Sam Schleiger, RD; Amy Murray, RD; Ester Blum Horn, RD; Theresa Link, RD; Kris Foley, RD; Shannon Bergtholdt, RD; Tara Holy, RD; Sarah Davis, RD; Dawn Boxell, RD; Chloe Schweinshaut, RD; Tera Naset, RD; Amy Kubal, RD; Kris Davis-Lesh, RD; Doug Cook, RD; Sam Presicci, RD; Tamie Brown, RD; Brittany Miller, RD; Jennifer Dickert, RD; Kayla Graves, RD; Meredith Fuson-Hill, RD; Jennifer Reese Zucconi, RD; Karen Wright, RD; Alexis Newman, RD; Adie Moody, RD; Annette Hunsberger Presley, RD; Emily Norbryhn, RD; Ryah Nabielski, RD; Halley Holloway, RD; Samantha Thoms, RD; Rachel Vanderpool, RD; Carla Hernandez, RD; Autumn Enloe, RD; Dena Norton, RD; Kristen Pardue, RD; Kate Callaghan, RD; Eliana Witchell, RD; Carla Jasso-Glavy, RD, CDE; Dr. Paul Grossl, Professor of Biochemistry; James Bardwell, DO; Kristin Johnson BCHN NTP; Michael Padula CSCS, ART, VOILA Level 5; Nick Huemmer, Health Coach; Chloe Davenport, NTP; Angela Blanchard, PHC; Isabel Lopez Primal Health Coach; Irma Jager, Certified Primal Health Coach; Garry Langler, Diabetes & Obesity Fitness Professional; Julie McCloskey, Registered Holistic Nutrition Coach; Mary Ruddick, CNC; Vitaliy Kroychik, MHA, CHES, NCTTP; Kathryn Day, ND; Jose Maresma, MS-Exercise Physiologist; Rick Simpson, Certified Primal Health Coach; Simon Preziosa, Primal Health Coach; Paula Barsanti, NDTR; Shelley Phillpot, Registered Holistic Nutritionist; Neely Quinn, Nutrition Therapist (ICNT); Stephanie Selinger, NTP; Katie Dillon, NTP; Silva Misho, Nutritionist
For more information, check out my upcoming book and film, Sacred Cow, exploring the nutrition, environmental and ethical case for better meat.
Here are some of my favorite resources on how herbivores are great for soil and human health:
The Savory Institute – and check out Allan Savory’s TED Talk
The Farm to Consumer Legal Defense Fund
Carni Sostenibili (Italian association but much is translated to English)
Defending Beef by Nicolette Hahn Niman
Folks, This Ain’t Normal by Joel Salatin (or ANYTHING by him!)
An Ethical Meat Eater’s Response to the Film ‘Cowspiracy’ (blog post by Caroline Watson)
Cows Save the Planet by Judith Schwartz
The Soil Will Save Us: How Scientists, Farmers, and Foodies Are Healing the Soil to Save the Planet by Rodale Books
The Unsettling of America: Culture & Agriculture by Wendell Berry
How Wolves Change Rivers (Video)
Polyfaces: A World of Many Choices (film)
How to Buy and Thaw Grass-fed Meat (blog post)
The Paleo Solution by Robb Wolf
Year of the Cow by Jared Stone
The Vegetarian Myth by Lierre Keith
Radical Homemakers by Shannon Hayes
The Homegrown Paleo Cookbook or The Sustainable Diet, by myself
In reading this article, the only thought that came to mind is: How much did this person get paid to write such an article?”
Wow Francis, so nothing else came to your mind at all?
I’m very transparent about affiliate links if any, and I was paid exactly ZERO dollars for this post.
I live on an organic vegetable farm. We raise goats, sheep, pigs and chickens for fertility.
How are your vegetables grown? Animal manure or chemicals?
Do you have any education at all in the health or nutrition field?
After finding myself malnourished, fatigued, bloated, emaciated, infertile, with rotting teeth on my decades-long plants-based diets, I became an omnivore. Within a few weeks I felt much better, however full recovery took several years. I feel dismayed that I believed the vegetarian myths that a plants alone could sustain my health. I read and comment on articles supporting omnivorisim because I feel passionate about it and am on a mission. I transferred my zealotry from plants-based diets to omnivore diets. No one is paying me, just like plants-based people are not being paid to express their views. I share and post articles like this one on social media and will continue to do so as long as the plants-based mythology is circulating and influencing people who don’t understand their bodies, nutrition, their connections to nature, ecology, and agriculture. When I woke up and smelled the bacon, I was grateful to find posts and shares from former plants-based/omnivore converts.
I have metastatic breast cancer and deeply appreciate your sharing of this! I continue to eat high quality, locally and sustainably raised red meat, both beef and lamb. I know it did NOT cause my cancer; I’m in the “metabolic imbalance” belief camp of cancer. And interestingly, my initial tumor happened to occur in the exact location where I used to tuck my cell phone in my bra in order to keep my arms from getting entangled in the wires of my headphones. Can’t be 100% that caused my cancer, but it sure seems suspicious to me.
During my chemo treatment, I always managed to keep both RBC and WBC above the threshold of needing an intervention. I have no doubt it was because of eating high quality, nutrient dense meat. I can’t eat a lot of it, but I can’t eat a lot of anything anymore, which is a good thing.
Hi Diana. I am a MD and would love to join #teamMeat but I live in Iceland. Could you expand your drop down list to include “outside USA” , please? 🙂
Thanks for all your work!
You may still join #teammeat by filling out the form and selecting “other” in the “Select State” field or leaving the it blank:)
I thought for sure I’d see “laziness”, “apathy”, or at the very least some acknowledgement that you don’t really know what you are talking about. Take B12 for example: animals do not produce vitamin B12. Rather, it is produced by microorganisms like bacteria and yeast. When you eat meat, you are getting your B12 indirectly. Why not enjoy a pint of unfiltered beer and get your B12 (at least marginally) closer to first hand. Also, I’d love to see some example of protein deficiencies in modern humans. If anything, we’re consuming more protein than our kidneys are comfortable processing. And there is no shortage of vegetarian sources of protein. This is coming from a guy that has enjoyed PB&J for a fair percentage of lunches during my lifetime. And I’m good. I’m strong like bull
You are incorrect about the B12, but I know that this misinformation gets spread through anti-meat channels constantly. You’re also wrong about protein deficiency, or insufficiency, and kidneys. Good luck with your PB&J diet though, sounds really nutrient dense.
I’m kinda confused, with investigation and personal conviction vie first-hand experience, I’ve found a numerous load of studies and effects that indicate consumption of animals products as extremely hazardous. With harmful endotoxins present in most animal bodies (even after applying heat), and even with the links that exist between the intake of animal flesh, animal drainages, and animal byproducts to diseases like Alzheimer’s, dementia, depression, osteoporosis, and a slew of other degenerative and even deathly adverse health effects, it can only be concluded that the consumption of animals products is a high risk for the individual and even more so for humanity. How can we promote a lifestyle that is most certainly a debt and a danger to those who wish to be – healthy?
Hmm, I disagree that a food that humans have been eating for MILLIONS of years is suddenly causing all of these issues.
Excellent. Shared to FB. Thanks for your work!
Diana, excellent article. I guess Francis can’t understand that there are many ways to look at an issue, and that the old industrial model of food production is the real problem. It’s not a meat vs vegetables issue, it’s about raising healthy food in a sustainable way. Small, diversified farms are the future of food, and it allows people to eat as local as possible and to minimize the fossil fuels required to produce food. Most people aren’t aware of the sheer amount of fossil fuel required to run tractors and other industrial equipment on huge mega farms, as well as the cost to ship the food, process it, etc. I think the more people can see how shall fares truly work, the less objection they will have to meat as a necessary part of the food system.
Interesting when facts contradict ideology that the knee jerk response is to question funding. There is and never was any scientific base to the advice to restrict meat consumption. There is no basis in science for a “plant based diet” or any health benefits of eating more grains. Anybody who wants to be vegetarian or vegan is free to do so for their own personal reasons but not force it on others.
Thanks for writing this. Obesity epidemic must be stopped, and that starts with lowering carbohydrate consumption and readoption of healthy fats such as lard and butter.
Accusing others of cherry picking while actively ignoring the preponderance of academic and real world evidence from decades of yes, gasp, observational studies to longitudinal studies to metabolic ward studies showing that red meat and meat in general isn’t optimal or necessary for human health is funny.
Show me a RCT proving red meat will kill you.
Making a controversy about this topic is not my goal, but even though I am a pro meat, I have so many questions that go against it, which I hope you can answer.
First, you talked about protein as a neccessary nutrient, because we cannot make it ourselves. Now, even though this is true, there is no reason to get it lut of meat. You may achieve the daily basis by just eating plant-based. If the meat way is easier, I think you are not counting when the cow was fed with the same vegetables that we could have been fed. Whats your opinion about this?
The you talked about nutritional density, which I agree with you. Meat has many mutrients, but we can not disregard the fact that fruits and vegetables have a higher content.
Envirormental issues are also a concern for me. I clearly undertand the fact that you express that animal manure is a great fertilizer, so having more cows is better, but I think you are missing a bond. We have to feed this animals and give them land. This means making food for them, give them water and all neccessary products throughout years, just to eat a piece of meat?
Eating vegetables will always be cheaper than meat, because the meat has already eaten its vegetables. I was wondering if maybe we should not go the easy way, but the more natural way, because humans with no tools, could not even kill a fly.
What are your thoughts on these?
First of all, cattle convert 2lbs of grain to 1lb of meat. This is up cycling nutrient poor food into nutrient dense food. I would much prefer to eat a pound of steak vs. a pound of corn. Fruits and vegetables do not have the same nutrient density as meat per serving. That is false. Eating all of your nutrients from vegetables is time consuming, you still won’t get the same bioavailability, and humans have evolved with tools and fire to eat meat. None of your points are convincing me that meat is not an optimal food.
Very clear and up-to-date paper highlighting both dietary and environmental aspects of meat production/consumption versus rejection. This article contains recent references which I added to my website on healthy lifestyles…