What will happen to your body if you don't eat meat for a long time? Will eating meat cause "three highs" and cancer?

Meat is delicious and nutritious. However, in recent years, many people are afraid of meat. Young people worry that eating too much meat will make them fat and ugly, while older people worry that eating meat will lead to high cholesterol, high blood sugar and high blood pressure. Many people have joined some "health groups" and "weight loss groups", which basically recommend fat-free protein diets. "Not eating meat" is even praised as a "healthy secret".

However, is it really good for the body to not eat meat? What will happen if you don't eat meat for a long time?

Not eating meat can lower blood lipids?

Some people, especially the middle-aged and elderly, are reluctant to eat meat because they often have "three highs", especially high blood lipids. And blood lipids sound like they are caused by too much fat. In their minds, "not eating meat = reducing fat intake = helping to lower blood lipids".

In fact, this logic only sounds reasonable, because eating meat in moderation will not cause elevated blood lipids.

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Blood lipids include triglycerides, cholesterol, cholesterol esters, phosphoric acid and fatty acids. What we often call high blood lipids mainly refers to high triglycerides and cholesterol in the blood.

Let’s talk about triglycerides first.

Triglycerides (TG) are the most abundant lipids in the human body. The human body breaks down triglycerides to obtain energy, while the liver, fat and other tissues can synthesize triglycerides and store them in fat tissue.

The triglycerides in the human body come partly from the diet and partly from the body itself. However, regarding hypertriglyceridemia, it is currently believed that dietary fat is not the main source of triglycerides in the liver. It can be simply understood that if you want to control blood lipids, eating less meat may not achieve the goal.

In fact, when people eat, our body will convert excess energy into triglycerides and store them in fat cells. In addition to eating meat, eating rice, steamed buns and other things, if you eat too much, these excess energy will also be converted into triglycerides.

Let’s talk about cholesterol.

Cholesterol is a bit like triglycerides, about 70% to 80% of which is synthesized by the liver, and only a small part comes from the diet. Therefore, there is no need to worry too much about eating a moderate amount of meat will increase blood lipids.

Of course, it is also very important and necessary to pay attention to your daily diet for blood lipid health. After all, unhealthy diet is also a risk factor for high blood lipids. However, the dietary control required by people with high blood lipids is not just for one kind of food, but should be adjusted from the overall dietary structure.

In fact, current guidelines for cardiovascular disease, blood lipids, etc. also recommend that people with high blood lipids should eat a balanced diet, ensuring that their daily food contains enough vegetables, fruits, and whole grains, as well as appropriate amounts of dairy products, livestock meat, aquatic products, beans, nuts and other foods.

Does eating meat cause cancer?

Some people also say that eating meat causes cancer, "red meat is a Class 2 carcinogen, and processed meat is a Class 1 carcinogen."

Indeed, as early as a few years ago, the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) under the World Health Organization (WHO) released an assessment report on red meat and processed meat products. In this report, WHO classified processed meat products as Class 1 carcinogens and red meat as Class 2A carcinogens.

However, this does not mean that meat is definitely carcinogenic and cannot be eaten at all.

The IRAC carcinogen level is not equal to the intensity of harm. The IRAC carcinogen classification is not based on which one has a stronger carcinogenicity, but on the degree of scientific evidence. The more clear the carcinogenicity evidence, the higher the level, and the carcinogenicity is not necessarily related to the classification.

In its report, the World Health Organization stated that consuming 50g of processed meat products per day would increase the risk of colon cancer by 18%. If 100g (2 taels) of red meat were consumed per day, the risk of colorectal cancer would increase by 17%.

It can be understood that if the risk of colorectal cancer for people who do not eat meat is 1%, then the risk for people who eat meat is 1.18%, and the overall risk is still very small. The IARC report also pointed out that for individuals, the risk of colorectal cancer from eating processed meat products is still very small and almost negligible.

my country's dietary pyramid recommends that the average amount of livestock and poultry meat per person should be about 40 to 75 grams per day. As long as it is consumed normally, there is no need to worry too much about eating meat causing cancer.

Moreover, the cause of cancer is very complex. It is the result of multiple factors. Genetics, lifestyle habits, eating habits, etc. may all have an impact, and the cause cannot be simply attributed to a simple food.

Therefore, there is no need to be afraid of eating meat because of this.

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What would happen if you didn't eat meat for a long time?

Some people are influenced by the trend of "vegetarian health" and "weight loss and body shaping" and not only do not eat meat, but even cut out eggs and milk. However, this is actually very harmful. If you don't eat meat for a long time, your body will easily develop many serious problems, especially for the elderly.

1

anemia

Many women know that anemia is a very uncomfortable problem. Not only does it make the face look pale and ugly, but it also makes people always feel dizzy, easily fatigued, and lack of energy.

Meat is rich in heme iron, which is the raw material for blood production and has a high absorption rate. If you always avoid meat and do not specifically supplement iron, it is easy to cause the most common anemia - iron deficiency anemia.

In addition, not eating meat for a long time may cause people to lack vitamin B12, which can also lead to serious problems such as anemia. Because vitamin B12 is only found in animal foods and not in plants, people who do not eat meat are particularly prone to deficiency.

Data from the National Nutrition and Health Survey from 2010 to 2012 showed that the anemia prevalence rate among the elderly in my country was 12.5%, and the anemia rate among the elderly aged 75 and above was 17.7%.

2

Sarcopenia

Sarcopenia, the main manifestation is just what it means literally, muscle mass reduction, muscle atrophy, and muscle strength reduction. This is more common among the elderly, nearly half of the elderly will suffer from it. An important cause of sarcopenia is insufficient protein intake.

Such elderly people look thinner, and many people think that this is a sign of health. In fact, sarcopenia is very harmful to the elderly. Once muscle loss continues and strength decreases, the incidence of falls, fractures, osteoporosis, osteoarthritis, etc. will increase significantly.

Many people may not feel the seriousness of these problems. In fact, for the elderly, accidental falls are very scary and can easily be fatal. For example, the mortality rate of hip fractures, which are not uncommon, may exceed 20% within a year, and even reach 50%.

"Dietary Reference Intakes for Chinese Residents (2023 Edition)"

Meat is an important source of protein. The protein needs of the elderly are actually no less than those of the young, and will increase after the age of 65. If you do not eat meat and have no other way to supplement, it is easy to be protein deficient, which will lead to sarcopenia and even other malnutrition problems over time. According to the data of the National Nutrition and Health Survey from 2010 to 2012, the incidence of malnutrition and nutritional risk in elderly patients was 16% and 37% respectively, and the incidence of hypoproteinemia was 25.1%.

Because of this series of health risks, my country's dietary guidelines clearly recommend that the elderly should eat enough meat to ensure that they get enough high-quality protein. Fish, shrimp, poultry, pork, beef, mutton, etc. are all good meats.

5 tips for eating meat healthily

Meat is rich in high-quality protein and contains minerals that are easily absorbed and utilized by the human body, especially iron and zinc. It is also rich in vitamins A and D, which are also important for human health.

How to eat meat healthily, we suggest you pay attention to 5 points:

Eat in moderation

my country's dietary pyramid recommends that the average person can eat 40 to 75 grams of livestock and poultry meat, 40 to 75 grams of aquatic products such as fish and shrimp, and 25 to 50 grams of eggs (about one egg) every day.

Eat more meats and change them up

A common phenomenon is that the types of meat that the elders eat are relatively single. Many people either always eat pork or always eat beef and mutton.

In fact, eating like this is too monotonous and is not good for your health. It also does not conform to the dietary principles of balanced nutrition and food diversity.

It is recommended to enrich the table with beef, mutton, chicken, duck, fish, shellfish, etc. Change it up more often and you won’t get tired of it.

Eat less red meat and more white meat

Red meat is generally meat from livestock such as pigs, cattle, sheep, and horses. White meat generally refers to poultry and aquatic products, such as chicken, fish, and shrimp.

The dietary guidelines suggest that fish and poultry should be the first choice of meat for the elderly. Compared with red meat, they have low fat content and short, thin and soft muscle fibers, which are easier to digest and absorb, and are very friendly to the elderly with bad teeth. If conditions permit, you can choose more marine fish and shrimp, such as eating seafood 2 to 3 times a week.

Eat less fat and preserved meat

Fatty meats like pork belly, as well as fried and grilled meat, not only contain a lot of fat, but also contain a lot of saturated fat. Eating them not only makes you fat, but also increases the risk of cardiovascular disease. Therefore, you should try to eat less fatty meat, as well as meat that is fried or pan-fried with heavy oil.

Processed meats such as sausages, ham, and bacon have high salt content, which is also not good for patients with three highs. It is also recommended to eat less or no meat. Also, eat less pickled meats such as bacon and smoked meat.

If you really don't like meat, you can drink milk, eat eggs, eat more soy products, and take nutritional supplements when necessary.

You can drink milk and eat eggs, which are also good sources of high-quality protein.

Tofu, dried bean curd, and artificial meat and vegetarian meat, which have become popular in recent years, are all soy products, which are a high-quality protein source besides meat. If you really don't like eating meat, you might as well eat more soy products.

Commercially available protein powder can also effectively provide protein. If you do not eat any animal products, you can eat some protein powder appropriately. Since not eating meat can easily lead to iron and some vitamin deficiencies, it is recommended to take it with dietary supplements such as iron and vitamin B12, which can also meet the nutritional needs of the elderly.

References

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[8] NHS. Meat your diet.

[9] Li Gen, Zhen Fuhang, Lv Wenhao, et al. Research on the pathogenesis of sarcopenia in the elderly[J]. Journal of Brain and Nervous Diseases, 2019, 27(4): 257-261.

[10] Su Lin, Liu Shuang, Dong Birong, et al. Nutrition and sarcopenia[J]. Electronic Journal of Tumor Metabolism and Nutrition, 2019, 06(1): 26-34.

[11] Wang Liusen, Zhang Bing, Wang Huijun, et al. Current status of meat consumption patterns among the elderly in 15 provinces (autonomous regions and municipalities) in China [J]. Chinese Food and Nutrition, 2018, 24(10): 13-19.

[12] Chinese Nutrition Society. Dietary Guidelines for Chinese Residents 2022.

[13]Dietary Reference Intakes of Nutrients for Chinese Residents. 2023.

This article is a work of Science Popularization China-Starry Sky Project

Produced by: Science Popularization Department of China Association for Science and Technology

Producer｜China Science and Technology Press Co., Ltd., Beijing Zhongke Xinghe Culture Media Co., Ltd.

Author: Ruan Guangfeng, Deputy Director of Kexin Food and Health Information Exchange Center

Review丨Zhang Yu, Researcher, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Doctor of Medicine