TST IN ENGLISH: Slaughtered animals taking revenge on human kind?

Roast pork with dumplings, marinated sirloin or golden and crisp chicken are few of Czech traditional dishes that contain animal products. It is no surprise that on average, an adult consumes 81 kg of meat per year. In childhood, parents tell us to consume meat to grow and as we become old enough to make food choices ourselves, in general we stick to carnivore diet.

When asked why we eat meat, people usually respond with a XXI century myth, stating that meat is an essential ingredient in our diet and it helps one to keep healthy. But does it really? Why is it that Japan where meat consumption is 1/3 of what it is in the United States has higher life expectancy than the U.S.? Maybe meat is not a symbol of health at all, but on the contrary, it is its deteriorator.

Hypercholesterinemia, tumor and diabetes are diseases that have direct link to meat consumption. According to A Farm Sanctuary, meat products are full of saturated fatty acids. High intake of these reduces insulin sensitivity, promoting insulin resistance. As a result, insulin levels raise and can lead to the development of diabetes as well as cardiovascular disease.

Pork meat, in particular, has at least three cancer-causing substances. The majority of pork consumption is processed, including smoked ham (28%), sausage (13%), bacon (9%) and processed lunchmeat (6%). Processing meat involves smoking it and adding chemical preservatives, many of which contain nitrates.

These nitrates are converted into nitrosamines that has direct link to the development of cancer. Further, heating meat at high temperatures also contributes to formation of nitrosamines that causes cancer. Heterocyclic amines (HCA) in cooked meat are also linked with cancer. More information here. 

Thus, by consuming pork, one is expressively consenting to a high risk of developing cancer. What is more shocking is that an average person in the Czech Republic consumes over 40 kg of pork per annum, making it the most consumed kind of meat.

In 2010, government spent 7.9% of its gross national product (GDP) on health. Each year, the figure keeps rising. It is true that this figure does not have to indicate the direct expenditure on diseases that are a cause of consumption of animal products. Nevertheless, several researches demonstrate that it is not medicine that helps to cure diseases but it is our nutrition.

Pills or apples? 

Simply Raw: Reversing Diabetes in 30 days is a documentary directed by Aiyana Elliott which shows the effect of our food choices on our health. Six volunteers with type 1 and type 2 diabetes as well as obesity and cardiovascular diseases are asked to change their diet to raw vegan for period of 30 days. Vegetables, fruits, grains and nuts are their only source of nutrition.

During this period, their progress and health are closely examined by a team of medics. The end result does not only show reduction in insulin dependence, permitting most of participants to stop the intake of medication. But in addition to this, participants lose weight and gain confidence and clearness of their mind. The documentary is exceptional because it does not only demonstrate the benefit of vegan diet but it also supports a claim:
‘1/4 of what you eat keeps you live: ¾ of what you eat keeps your doctor alive’.

Now to conclude this bundle of information, the scientific evidence shows that meat is not necessarily as good as people come to believe today. What was once considered as a luxury is now a regularity. One no longer has to wait for a feast in order to indulge oneself with a piece of meat. In general, the public makes sure to have those minimum 10% of protein a day. And the purpose of this article is not to discourage the consumption of meat. The purpose is to make the public aware of the potential, long-term risks of meat consumption.

Bottom line: For if one is prepared to eat like a king, one should also be prepared to look like one.