Excessive Meat Consumption | A Presentation in English

Excessive Meat Consumption | A Presentation in English

Excessive Meat Consumption | A Presentation in English

LELB Lecturer: Sasan

Selected Text

Eating too much meat is a common dietary problem in American society. Most Americans don’t realize that they’re eating too much meat. The risks of eating excessive amounts of meat include heart disease, kidney disease, osteoporosis and cancer. Here’s how to tell if you’re eating too much meat.

Consequences of Eating Too Much Meat

Studies show that people who eat too much meat are 20 percent more likely to develop cancer, especially if they eat a lot of red meat. Pancreatic cancer, in particular, has been linked to heavy meat consumption. Meat also contains lots of saturated fat and cholesterol, which can lead to heart disease.

Processed meats, such as hot dogs, often contain nitrate, a preservative that may become carcinogenic when heated to high temperatures during the cooking process. All meats may form carcinogenic heterocylic amines, or HCAs, during high-temperature cooking. Marinading meat in vinegar, or microwaving it before cooking, can help reduce the number of carcinogenic HCAs in meat. However, meat may also contain high levels of hormones, which can trigger reproductive problems and early-onset puberty in children.

Your kidneys work to remove excess protein from your body, so eating too much protein can stress them out, leading to kidney damage and even contributing to renal failure in some cases. High dietary protein levels cause your body to excrete more calcium, which can contribute to osteoporosis.