Should Humans Eat Meat?

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“which…explains the high incidence of anaemia in developing counties” (Biesalski, 2005, p. 519). Evidently, due to the higher bioavailability of iron from animal products, or more specifically meat, those who eat meat are less likely of having an iron deficiency than those who do not eat meat.

It is evident that meat does have its benefits in regards to human nutrition. Though meat does provide the benefits of high quality protein and many of the essential micronutrients that the human body needs, not exclusive to vitamin B12, iron, and selenium, such thing as too much meat does exist; for example: “diets high in red, specifically processed meat, have been associated with increased risk of some chronic diseases” (Macdiarmid et al, 2015, p. 487). Thus, it can be derived that “[m]eat as a component of a mixed and healthy diet contains important and essential micronutrients” (Biesalski, 2005, p. 520), and as such, should be incorporated into a human’s diet in moderation, along with the plant-based foods as well — absolutely everything in moderation, including a human’s dietary intake.

References

Biesalski, H. K. (2005). Meat as a component of a healthy diet - are there any risks or benefits if meat is avoided in the diet? Meat Science, 70(3), 509-524. doi: 10.1016/j.meatsci.2004.07.017

Jennie I. Macdiarmid, Flora Douglas, Jonina Campbell, Eating like there’s no tomorrow: Public awareness of the environmental impact of food and reluctance to eat less meat as part of a sustainable diet, Appetite, Volume 96, 1 January 2016, Pages 487-493, ISSN 0195-6663, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.appet.2015.10.011.