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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