Animal-Sourced Foods --- Are They Good or Bad?
With the growing popularity of plant-based movements and increased awareness of the health and ethical risks of meat, the choice of what to include or take out of our diets has become an increasingly controversial issue. Do we eat meat or not? In January 2023, the Journal of Nutrition published a review on the topic reporting its findings.
Animal-source foods (ASF), as defined by the journal, describe foods “derived from animals,” thus encompassing dairy, fish, and meat products. These foods have several health benefits that are less present in plant-based foods. Most notably, ASFs, unlike plants, contain the vitamin B12. In more minor cases, a lack of B12 can result in dizziness, lack of energy, and anemia. In more severe cases, however, it can cause cognitive impairment, blindness and death. As such, ASFs can be highly beneficial in ensuring that individuals get a sufficient amount of this vitamin.
ASFs and plant-based foods also differ in the type of iron they contain; ASFs contain heme iron while plants have non-heme iron. Heme iron is more readily absorbed by our bodies, so more of it can be used. The same is true of zinc, which is “~1.7 times more bioavailable” than the zinc found in plants.
Animal-source foods (ASF), as defined by the journal, describe foods “derived from animals,” thus encompassing dairy, fish, and meat products. These foods have several health benefits that are less present in plant-based foods. Most notably, ASFs, unlike plants, contain the vitamin B12. In more minor cases, a lack of B12 can result in dizziness, lack of energy, and anemia. In more severe cases, however, it can cause cognitive impairment, blindness and death. As such, ASFs can be highly beneficial in ensuring that individuals get a sufficient amount of this vitamin.
ASFs and plant-based foods also differ in the type of iron they contain; ASFs contain heme iron while plants have non-heme iron. Heme iron is more readily absorbed by our bodies, so more of it can be used. The same is true of zinc, which is “~1.7 times more bioavailable” than the zinc found in plants.
ASFs can be key components of a nutritionally rich and well-balanced diet so long as they are not processed and consumed in reasonable amounts, but a largely plant-based diet tends to be a more environmentally viable and healthy solution.
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These benefits of meats, however, do not apply to processed meats, which are defined as animal flesh that has undergone a man-made process to change it, whether that be salting, smoking, curing or something else. Most of these meats have been found to contain unhealthy preservatives and even carcinogenic compounds. In fact, the World Cancer Research Fund’s official recommendation for processed meat is to consume “little if any” due to the strong evidence that it increases the risk of cancer, especially colorectal cancer. Furthermore, processed meats contain, among other preservatives, high levels of sodium which are correlated with risks of cardiovascular disease.
High intakes of unprocessed red meats have also been correlated with cancer, early death and possibly diabetes. Further, when examining the environmental impact of meat production, the Journal of Nutrition review demonstrates it is far more harmful than plant-based foods across all scales: land use, soils, water, climate change, and biodiversity. Raising animals also requires growing their food and providing them with enough water, which means that animal-raising practices consume more resources than plant products.
In conclusion, the findings of this report indicate that ASFs can be a key factor in a nutritionally diverse and healthy diet by providing enough B12, zinc, iron, and other vital nutrients. The report recommends, however, that they be unprocessed and consumed in reasonable amounts in order to remain an environmentally viable and healthy option. As such, eating a primarily plant-based diet with an emphasis on alternative protein sources such as tofu, tempeh and lentils can be both a more healthy, environmentally-sound, and ethical solution.
High intakes of unprocessed red meats have also been correlated with cancer, early death and possibly diabetes. Further, when examining the environmental impact of meat production, the Journal of Nutrition review demonstrates it is far more harmful than plant-based foods across all scales: land use, soils, water, climate change, and biodiversity. Raising animals also requires growing their food and providing them with enough water, which means that animal-raising practices consume more resources than plant products.
In conclusion, the findings of this report indicate that ASFs can be a key factor in a nutritionally diverse and healthy diet by providing enough B12, zinc, iron, and other vital nutrients. The report recommends, however, that they be unprocessed and consumed in reasonable amounts in order to remain an environmentally viable and healthy option. As such, eating a primarily plant-based diet with an emphasis on alternative protein sources such as tofu, tempeh and lentils can be both a more healthy, environmentally-sound, and ethical solution.
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