“Beef is the backbone of the American diet and it always has been.”
President of Riverside Meat Packers
This is an important question considering that we eat so much of it. Two researchers, Mr. Osborne and Mr. Mendel, did some of the earliest studies on protein. They discovered that rats grew faster on high-protein animal foods than on vegetables. In 1940, researchers also discovered that ten amino acids were essential to the growth of rats. These ten acids were complete only in meat, eggs, poultry, etc. The conclusion was clear; eat more meat, poultry, cheese, milk and eggs. They experimented with amino acids and found that the proportion which produced the fastest growth was similar to that of the egg. The National Egg Board was delighted with Osborne and Mendel’s conclusions. Through these two experiments and a few million dollars in advertising, the doctrine was established; animal protein is superior to vegetable protein.
What they failed to consider is that rat's milk is 20 percent protein compared with human milk at 9.5 percent protein. Also, infants double their birth weight in 180 days while rats double their birth weight in 4 to 5 days. No one thought to consider that a healthy diet for a rat may be a threat to humans. The health risk associated with a high-protein diet was ignored and cancer continued to increase.
Nutritionists have linked cancer to animal foods. Each time you eat an animal product, you increase the chance of cancer. Men who eat meat, dairy products and eggs daily will increase the risk of dying from prostate cancer by 360 percent.
The risk of death from a heart attack is 50 percent for the average American man; when reducing meat intake, the percentage drops to 15 percent. By avoiding all animal products, the risk of death from a heart attack drops to 4 percent.
Canada has a high incidence of cancer and heart disease, much higher than the poorest countries where they cannot afford to eat animal products. The Seventh-Day Adventists and Navajo Indians eat little or no meat. Hospital records show that they suffer far less from cancer than meat-eaters.
In 1970, when the U.S. Senate Committee wanted to understand what causes cancer, they asked Dr. Gio B. Gori, the Deputy Director of the National Cancer's Institute Division of Cancer’s Cause and Prevention. He stated “...the dietary factors responsible…are principally meat and fat intake.”
The Journal of the National Cancer Institute reported that the incidence of colon cancer was greater in areas where meat consumption was higher. On hearing this, the meat industry retaliated in defense of their product, stating that genetic factors are responsible. It is known, however, that the Japanese have one of the lowest rates of colon cancers. A study was created to identify any increase of cancer in the Japanese who migrated to the United States. As the Japanese began to eat from our rich North American diet, their susceptibility to colon cancer increased. This proved that the Japanese have a lower rate of colon cancer because of how they eat, not due to genetic factors.
On May 7, 1976, the president of Riverside Meat Packers announced, “Beef is the backbone of the American diet and it always has been.” Six years later he died of colon cancer. Animal products are completely deficient in fiber. This results in a greater susceptibility to colon cancers among big meat eaters. Fiber is the cleansing broom of the intestine. Without fiber, the heavy saturated grease of animal fat clogs up the intestine. As the transit time becomes longer, stool becomes harder and eventually constipation sets in. Due to this increase in transit time, putrefying flesh foods create carcinogens which contribute to colon cancer. Milk products, poultry, eggs, fish and meat contain zero fiber.
I do eat meat but in small portions and moderate amounts, more as a garnish then the main part of my meal. Since I have reduced my meat intake and increased raw food in my diet, the change in health has been nothing short of remarkable.
There was a time I would not eat meat even if it was served to me at father’s house for Christmas. I no longer live that way. If the majority of your diet is clean, the odd piece of meat will not hurt. Honestly, it would be better to go easy on the mashed potatoes covered in gravy and have an extra cut of roast. I hope you understand that this is about health and freedom, not legalism. It is about wisdom and making informed choices for your health.
Related Article: Is The Human Digestive System Designed For Meat?