Aren't I supposed to eat meat?

Question

I have been a vegetarian for six months and have noticed marginal health benefits. I have lost some weight, but that could be attributed to my exercise routine.

The negative, however, is that I've clearly lost strength and some days I feel extremely weak. Concerned about my health (and not ready to give up on vegetarianism), I decided to look up "essential" vegetarian foods to ensure I'm getting everything I need.

I've found some facts that suggest that we were made to eat meat.

The first point is that iron is more easily absorbed from meat than it is from plants. The second point I have is that protein from meats are considered complete, while proteins from plants are incomplete. And the last point is that B12 is hard to come by in plants.

So, before I shove a hamburger down my throat, can my fellow vegetarians convince me to stay the course?

Thanks.

Answer 1

If you're weak and losing strength, then you're not seeing to your nutritional requirements.  The mere fact that there are vegan athletes competing at the highest levels of sport should reassure you that it can be done.  Look up Carl Lewis, Brendan Brazier, Mac Danzig and Ruth Heidrich for inspiration.

As for iron, if non-heme iron is paired with vitamin C the difference in absorbability becomes negligible.

"Complete" protein means only that you are getting all your essential amino acids from a single source.  Since no one, apart from people in famine conditions, eat protein from a single source, this is a totally moot point.  You need to be eating a variety of legumes, whole grains, nuts, seeds, fruits and vegetables ANYWAY, so your protein needs are taken care of that way.

B12 is an interesting one and something skeptics point to as "proof" that veganism is not natural.  It's just not true, though.  First off, as a vegetarian who presumably drinks milk and/or eats eggs, the B12 question is answered.  Even if you were vegan, though, recent changes in agriculture (the use of chemical fertilizers and pesticides which have rendered previously B12 rich soil barren of it) are not proof of the unnaturalness of the vegan diet.  For millenia humans got plenty of it from soil clinging to root vegetables; the fact that this has been a less reliable source for the last 60 years or so (a drop in the bucket human history-wise) is a sad fact but not an indictment against an entire way of life.

Perhaps instead of searching for evidence that vegetarianism is wrong, you could learn how to do it right.  Both the American Dietetic Association and the Dieticians of Canada agree that properly planned vegetarian diet are appropriate for all life stages.  I recommend picking up a copy of  "The New Becoming Vegetarian" by Brenda Davis and Vesanto Melina, both registered dietitians.  It's very thorough coverage of vegetarian nutrition and addresses specifically the needs of the very active/athletic vegetarian.

Answer 2

The human body does not require meat to obtain certain nutrients as they can be found in other forms.

As far as iron is concerned, it is true that we absorb it easier through meat than throught plant-based sources. HOWEVER, there is a terrible trade off. Human beings' livers and kidneys are put under a great amount of stress when they eat meat. It is difficult to break down and synthesize the enzymes found in meat. Yes, iron is absorbed easier, but there is a price to pay.

The human body can store an adequate supply of B12 for years on end. We only need it in trace amounts anyway. It can be found in fortified cerals and non-dairy milks. It's a myth that it's only found in dead animals.

Quinoa is a complete protein. Meat is not the only source that is. Also, it is not true that we veg*ns need to pair foods. If we eat beans for lunch and then some rice for dinner, the foods will automatically sync together to do what they need to do.

Only you can decided if you want to go back to eating meat. But there are ways to obtain all the vitamins and minerals you need in order to stay healthy. Good luck!

Answer 3

MMMM meat chow down on it just everything in moderation  

Answer 4

yes we were made to eat meat. yes it's harder to get the nutrients you need from plants. yes I'm all for meat. HOWEVER... I'm not against vegans. here are some tips you need to stay your course...

get in touch with a doctor or a dietician. they'll make sure you're getting the proper nutrients... you're not supposed to be feeling weak.

do your homework and count your proteins and vitimines just like you'd count calories.

make sure you're getting enough deep green vegies such as kale, spinach, collard greens.

make sure you're getting protein from tofu and beans.

check out health food stores and make sure you get supplements.

Answer 5

If we were supposed to eat meat then not only would we be able to ingest raw meat but would also be able to catch animals ourselves without the use of weapons or traps.

To keep your stregnth up try eating more soya protien and pulses,

Keep up the good work!

Answer 6

We were not "made" to eat anything.

Evolution has dumped us in a place where meat and other animal products can cause problems for many of us but we need b12 from sources other than whole plant foods.

Any loss of strength can only be blamed on the way that you planned your diet or failed to plan it.

http://www.veganbodybuilding.com/phpBB2/...

http://www.veganbodybuilding.com/phpBB2/...

Iron is not difficult to get from plants and vitamin C from fruits and vegetables actually increases absorption.

The idea of needing meat for complete protein is just ridiculous. Protein is made of amino acids. They all get broken up before we use them to make our own protein and eating from all vegetarian food groups results in complete protein without any effort.

http://www.veganhealth.org/sh

http://www.pcrm.org/health/veginfo

You should probably try eating a vegetarian diet correctly instead of searching for reasons to give it up but it's your choice to make. You have all of the same resources available on the internet and it's not our responsibility o convince you of anything.

Answer 7

as long as you eat lot of vitamins and minerals, vegetables, and SOY milk, you will be fine,  I think that maybe you can have some fish because that isn't anything tough to eat or anything and it doesn't have skin.  many vegetarians don't like meat because of the skin and they think eww gross we are eating skin off of an animal,  but seafood is a claw not skin.   try to eat a little organic too that always helps to stay healthy.  

Answer 8

here are some facts to counter yours:  

our teeth are not made like that of a carnivora - tiger, dog, lion

our eyes are in front of our head - not on the sides like tigers or lion

our tounges are smooth - not raspy

our digestive track long - not short for quick expulsion of rotting flesh

* Iron - Dulse Seaweed has more useable iron than calves liver, & if you are really concerned "Hyland's Homeopathic Iron Tonic" & Black Beans high in Iron.

*Complete Protien - obtained in an easy to  assimilate form by correct combinations of beans/legumes & grains

*B's - couple of excellent sources - Bee products like honey, pollen, my fav. Royal Jelly.  the other is "Nutritional Yeast" - "Kal" brand is the best we have ever tasted!  it helps provide your B's and Aminos

So my advice is relax & go have yourself a Black bean & rice Burrito with all the trimmings!  you should look into "Food Combining" for better nutrition - GOOD LUCK & GOOD FOR YOU!!!!  a veggie Mom

Answer 9

Meat is not a necessity.

"Cereals, tempeh, seaweed, unwashed vegetables, and fortified soy and rice milks are great sources of B12."

"The best sources of iron are green vegetables, soy, bran flakes, Grape Nuts, cooked chick peas, cooked pinto beans, raisins, dried apricots and blackstrap molasses. The best sources of zinc are beans, peas, corn, cashews, peanut butter, peanuts, pumpkin seeds and sunflower seeds.?

Also: "If that news isn't bad enough, animal-based protein is the reason why 1 in 3 meat-eaters get cancer. Animal protein is too acidic for the human body and was never intended for us because we are natural herbivores. We need to stop pretending that animal products are healthy. If it contains cholesterol, saturated fat, trans-fatty acids and animal protein, it is unhealthy. I'm still looking for the first medical report in history that can indict broccoli, bananas or asparagus as a cause of illness.

Contrary to the misinformation spewed forth by uninformed doctors, there is no shortage of protein in a vegan diet. Cauliflower and broccoli are 40 percent protein, while most other vegetables contain around 30 percent. Soy, tofu, nuts, seeds, beans, lentils and brown rice are great sources of protein. Even fruit has around 2-5 percent protein, which is the same amount of protein (5 percent) human babies receive from their mother's breast milk."

Answer 10

indeed my friend,

our body is build in such a way that we are supposed to eat meat, if u just become a vegan your body will suffer drastic changes, in order to balance of fool your system u should take all the vitamins of the nutrients that u r missing by not eating meat or dairy, also i suggest to visit a nutriologist, to have a nutrition program customized for you.

remember everything come in cicles and its "balanced",