Eating meat is not as unhealthy as many think. Meat even contains essential nutrients. But it becomes problematic when you overeat it. And that’s what most people do – at least statistically speaking.
How much meat is healthy?
If you want to eat a balanced diet, you don’t have to give up animals completely: It is recommended that you eat no more than 300 to 600 grams of meat and sausage per week. That corresponds to 31 kilograms per capita and year, explains nutritionist Antje Gahl. Meat contains essential nutrients: high-quality protein and minerals such as iron, zinc, and selenium.
But as so often, it depends on the correct measure. There is usually a lot of fat in sausage. “In addition, fat is added when preparing meat, for example, when frying and even more when breading,” explains nutrition expert Gabriele Jantar. How unhealthy that also depends on how much someone moves. The calculation is simple: If you consume more energy – in the form of fat, for example – than you use, you get fat.
And how much meat is unhealthy?
Meat also contains cholesterol, which can promote cardiovascular disease. “The purines also contained increased uric acid in the blood and can trigger an attack of gout,” says nutritionist Margret Morlo. Those who eat a lot of red meat may increase their risk of colon cancer. Red meat includes meat and meat products from beef, sheep, goat, or pork. Eating white meat, such as poultry, is not associated with higher cancer risk.
Those who like it can also live without it: “Meat is not a must in the diet,” Janthur emphasizes. The protein comes from plant foods such as beans, lentils, cereals, and milk and dairy products in a diet without meat.
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