Meat
is the flesh or other edible parts of animals which is usually domesticated
cattle, swine, and sheep, used for food, including not only the muscles and fat
but also the tendons and ligaments. In science, meat is mostly the muscle
tissue of an animal. Most animal muscle is roughly 75% water, 20% protein and
5% fat, carbohydrates, and assorted protein. These muscles are made of bundles
of cells called fibers. Each cell is crammed with filaments made of two
proteins actin and myosin.
Similarly,
meat refers to the flesh of animals that humans prepare and consume as food. It
serves as a very rich source of different kinds of nutrients prominent among
them is Protein.
In
a live animal, these protein filaments make muscles contract and relax. Both
actions require enormous amounts of energy, which they get from the energy-carrying
molecule ATP (adenosine triphosphate). The
most efficient generation of ATP requires oxygen, which muscles get from
circulating blood.
The meat
of mammals is grouped into two main types. We have the red meat alternatively
called the bad meat and white meat alternatively called the good meat.
In
gastronomy, red meat refers to meat that closely looks like the color of blood. Red meat is commonly red when raw and a dark color after it is cooked. Red
meat is often meats from mammals. Examples of sources of red meat are beef,
pork, lamb, sheep, goat, etc. If you consume any meat from mammal then you are
likely taking red meat.
In
contrast, white meat as the name implies looks distant from the color of
blood. It is usually pale in color before
and after cooking. Examples of sources of white meat are mostly birds, fish, and
other aqua animals.
It
is noted that white meat like the meat of birds, fish, and other mammals is
advantageous than red meat. Red meat like beef, pork has a higher risk of
health because it contains a higher content of saturated fats (low-density
cholesterol). This low-density cholesterol forms plaques and causes heart and
blood vessel damage leading to stroke, heart failure.
The
intake of meat gives the body protein, vitamins B-12 which repairs and enhances the functioning of nerves in the body and enables the red blood cells to carry
nutrients and oxygen around the body.
WHY
PROCESSED MEAT IS BAD FOR YOU?
The
consumption of processed meat is mostly considered as unhealthy food.
Numerous studies show that the intake of processed food gives diseases like
cancer, diabetes, and heart disease. There is no doubt that processed meat contains
many harmful chemicals than unprocessed meat.
Processed
meat is a meat that has been treated in some way to preserve or flavor it
through salting, curing, fermenting, and smoking. Food products categorized as
processed meat include sausages, hot gods, salami, ham, cured bacon, corned
beef, salted and cured meat, smoked meat, dried meat, beef jerky, canned meat,
etc.
Back
in 2015, the World Health Organization’s International Agency for Research on
Cancer (IARC) categorized processed meat as a carcinogen, which is just what it
sounds like- something that causes cancer because these foods have been shown
to raise the risk of colon cancer and potentially other forms of cancer.
According to Hu, MD, Ph.D., Professor and Chair,
Department of Nutrition, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, the current
evidence suggests the higher intake of processed meat, the higher the risk of
chronic diseases and mortality.
He noted that while there is not sufficient
evidence to suggest a safe amount, eating a small amount of processed meat
occasionally is unlikely to have an appreciable health effect.
When the meat is grilled, barbecued, or smoked at high temperatures, fat is released and
drips onto hot cooking surfaces. This produces toxic compounds called Polycyclic
Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs), which can rise and seep into the meat. PAHs are
carcinogenic meaning they cause cancer and pose health dangers. Therefore, the
intake of kebab, grilled tilapia, smoked beef should be minimized or stopped if
possible, to boost your health and avert any health danger.
BAD EFFECT OF EXCESSIVE MEAT CONSUMPTION
There
is a saying that too much of everything is bad hence, to consume much meat into
the body is bad though meat gives some health benefits to the human body. Let’s
look at the bad effect of excessive meat intake in the below points,
1.Heart
and blood diseases: Continuous consumption of meat in excessive amounts leads to the accumulation of bad cholesterol in the blood vessels. These cause a deposit of
plaques and harden these vessels straining the heart. As the blood vessels
become narrow, the heart pumps with increasing strengths leading to
hypertension and later stroke.
2.Cancers:
The persistent excessive intake of meat has been linked to colon cancers. Most
especially processed meat delays in the digestion of fats in the large intestines
which causes inflammation. If this persists for a long period, it could result
in cancer.
3.Diabetes:
Meat consumption especially processed meat because of the aromatic hydrocarbons
it yields. This could cause damage to the secretion cells of the pancreas
resulting in type two diabetes. Note that people with diabetes are
often advised to reduce meat consumption because it could compound their health.
So as Peptic Ulcer patients are advised to take less red meat, so
it does not aggravate their condition.
4.Obesity
and weight control: Often I see people who are working on their weight eat less
food but take meat and meat products to keep their tummies empty. Meat has high
fats content in them. When consumed in excess they form cholesterol deposits
that increase weight.
Readers,
if you want to maximize benefits and minimize risk then you need to choose
non-processed meat, avoid high-heat cooking, include plant foods in your diet,
and choose organic or grass-fed whenever possible. There is no standardized
amount of meat one should take a day, but it should not be more than 100g daily and not per meal.
Written by Justina Amoah
Source: Carl Grant, The Readers Hub.
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