Are you tired of hearing about meatless Mondays? Or other movements that indicate the beef industry is a bad choice for your health?

The information out there circling these misconceptions is rampant. I heard a quote the other day about the misinformed educating the uninformed and it couldn't be more true. Although, they were not discussing the value of beef, it fits the social craze perfectly.  Let's start with human health. 

Animal food products are the only available, non-supplemental sources of some fatty acids and vitamin B12. And eliminating animal product from people's diet could also increase deficiencies in calcium and vitamin A. In addition, a plant-only diet would require individuals to eat more food and increase their daily calories to meet their nutritional needs because the available foods from plants are not as nutrient dense as from animals. For example a single serving of quinoa, about 1 cup, has 8g of protein, 40g carbs and 3.5g fat. Compare that to a single serving of lean beef, about 4 oz, 30g protein, 0 carbs and 4g fat. Protein is essential for building muscles, it also adds strength to cell walls, acts as an alternative source of energy and is essential for repairing tissues throughout your body. Animal protein is also more bioavailable than plant protein. 

Red meat is catching a bad rap, but why? The WHO (World Health Organization) list processed meat as a class 1 carcinogen, putting them in the same category as tobacco, asbestos, alcohol and arsenic. And steaks and other fresh red meats are listed as class 2 carcinogens comparing them to chemicals such as glyphosate (a broad spectrum herbicide). But the studies were not randomized controlled studies. Instead they were epidemiology research, which does not prove causation it only proves a specific risk factor associated with a cause. Correlation is not causation. This is not based on sound logic. Long and short of it the studies did not take into consideration many other factors that can relate to an unhealthy diet and lifestyle of the subjects nor did they follow them across a lifetime.

According to the CDC the most deficiencies in the US are Vitamin B12, Vitamin C, Iron, Vitamin D and Vitamin B6. And guess where these can all be found? You guessed it, red meat! In additional to B12 and B6, it has niacin, phosphorus, CLA (a source of selenium) and zinc. 

"Vitamin D has recently come into the focus of attention in the public mind as well as in medical science. Now it seems that its importance has at last been recognized. Almost everybody knows today that the level of vitamin D does not only affect the bones alone. In fact, low vitamin D levels can pose health risks such as various infections, and have been associated with cancer, cardiovascular diseases, and autoimmune diseases like multiple sclerosis and rheumatoid arthritis.

If you want your vitamin D3 level to be balanced, if you want to ensure your child’s well-being and maximally diminish the risk of cancer, autoimmune disease and other diseases of civilization, consider this: Eat red meat daily, and offal at least twice a week. Have animal (not vegetable) fats every day. Don’t eat too much fruit and avoid food preparations containing added fructose." (1) Red meat along with sea fish and offal contain Vitamin D in the highest proportion. 

To wrap it up. Red meat is essential for overall health and disease prevention. The average American diet that follows the USDA approved food pyramid is failing. Obesity and chronic disease has become an epidemic and the misconceptions related to diet is failing the people. 

I could on for pages and pages about the health benefits of red meat and the misconceptions but it's now time to go enjoy my dinner with red meat on the table!

Check back in a few days to learn about the misconceptions that the beef industry has on the environment. 

References:

(1) https://www.paleomedicina.com/en/vitamin_D_sunshine_vitamin_cause_of_vitamin_d_deficiency

(2) http://www.who.int/features/qa/cancer-red-meat/en/

(3) https://sustainabledish.com/red-meat-cancer-nutrition-and-sustainability/

(4) http://www.thebeefsite.com/articles/4365/exploring-a-world-without-food-animals/

(5) http://library.crossfit.com/free/pdf/CFJ_English_Level1_TrainingGuide.pdf