Meat: Fact vs. Fiction

Following on from her article on the myth of the complete protein we fact-check some other popular statements about meat.

"High protein meat diets are good for you."

False: High protein meat diets contribute to a high turn over of the abrasive and irritating uric acid, which in hight quantities can inflame and damage tissue. The deposits from this acid have been shown to contribute to arthritis in the joints and muscle (myositis). Uric acid is also well-known for its link to gout. Protein is essential but when consumed in the form of meat, it is worth remembering that you are consuming some toxic stuff too.


"High protein meat diets are good for building up muscle."

False: Can you absorb meat protein effectively? With protein in meat, the body has to work hard to break it down into simple amino acids before it can be used. Protein, and all nutrients, act differently in a acid environment to an alkaline environment. In an acidic environment amino acids bind with minerals, metals and fats causing toxic build up in the body. Proteins are highly acidic forming, lowering the PH balance of the body. The body can then leach minerals from bone and muscle to buffer this acidity. So, yes, you can bulk up on high protein meat diets but you are bulking up on toxicity as well. Stacked amino acids are not necessary to normal bodily functions. This means muscle gain put on by high protein diets will be lost during detoxification.


"Undigested flesh can rot for days weeks and years in the intestines"

True: Expensive clinical trials - the gold standard of ‘health’ prescriptions by Big Pharma - on the indigestibility of meat by humans have yet to be deemed financially rewarding enough to warrant a full investigation into this claim – so lets look at the evidence we do have available:

1. Genuine carnivorous animals, for example your dog, have 20 times the HCL of a human. Now there’s an animal that’s clearly evolved to eat meat. The acid-bath in your pup’s stomach can literally disintegrate bone, let alone muscle and flesh. No parasite can survive this acidic onslaught. However with human’s, the intestinal tract tells a different story… Yes, if you eat meat, parasites are likely to be living it up inside you right now.
2. When your cat eats a mouse the food is almost completely digested in her stomach and the toxic by-products (her poo) are sent out of her body very quickly. This is because carnivorous animals have short intestinal tracts that are 3-6x their body length. Herbivores have intestinal tracts 10-12x their body length. Human beings have the same intestinal tract ratio as herbivores.
   So while your best shot at completely digesting meat flesh is in the highly acidic environment of your stomach, due to lower stomach acidity levels your stomach is not able to completely digest protein. Chunks of undigested meat, parasites and flukes et al., that our stomach acids are not strong enough to kill pass into your intestinal tract. Hello, health problems.
3. The saliva of carnivores is acidic. The saliva of herbivores is alkaline, which helps pre-digest plant foods. Human saliva is alkaline. I‘ll invite you to make make your own deductions on that one!
4. Carnivores don’t require fibre to help move food through their short and smooth digestive tracts. Herbivores require dietary fibre to move food through their long and bumpy digestive tracts, to prevent the bowels from becoming clogged with rotting food. Needles to say humans have the same requirement as herbivores. Without fibre your dog will quickly expel any undigested food, but since your own 30 ft long intestine is a major organ of carbohydrate digestion not only will this undigested rotting flesh hang about some more but many of the putrefying toxins will be absorbed back into the blood stream for dissemination throughout the body, the blood, filtering kidneys. 

"Eating meat causes body odour."

True: It might sound macabre but then we are talking about flesh… When we consume flesh, it rots within us. Meat flesh can become impacted on the intestinal wall causing the lining to decay along with the meat.


"Eating meat can feed the parasitic kingdom."
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True: Viruses, bacteria , flukes and the mother of all parasites - worms - feed on waste from flesh protein digestion. Parasites also have an affinity for weakened and damaged tissue – it is their job to decompose it. 
You have probably seen a decomposing dead animal with grey-green flesh. Not to put you off your sausages, but pretty similar, in fact to the colour our meats would look if the meat processor didn’t treat the dead flesh with colour additives like sodium nitrates and nitrites to make it look deceptively pink and more appealing than the sickly grey colour of death… Yep. Morbid.

Because humans can eat like carnivores, we must therefore be carnivores. 

False: This doesn’t just pose a moral question, but one of logic: mere behaviour does not equate to suitability or ‘naturalness’. Unlike many other living things we evidently possess the power of imagination, the ability to define ourselves, to make choices. We also possess the distinct ability to wipe out life on earth as we know it. 
There are many things we can do as a species like… shooting each other, lobbing hand grenades, tailgating or trolling someone. Well, ‘I can, so why not…’ has never really been a valid reason to do anything. 
The power of choice is only as potent as the awareness granted the subject to choose. 

Transitioning from a meat to plant based diet can be challenging on an emotional, mental and physical level. Seeking the support of a nutritional therapist is highly advised.