A-Z Reasons to go Meatfree

A is for Alzheimer’s disease

Researchers University of California Los Angeles (UCLA) suggest that red meat could be linked to a build up of iron in brain causing the opposite effect of antioxidants-in effect the brain rusts. The researchers suggest it may explain why more men develop Alzheimer’s as men eat more red meat than women.

A is for Arthritis

Eating red meat every day could double the risk of rheumatoid arthritis. Scientists believe that collagen found in red meat may trigger an immune system response which may also affect the joints.

B is for Bowel Cancer

A pan European study of nutrition and cancer found that people who ate more than two 80g portions of red meat a week were 30% more likely to develop bowel cancer than those who ate less than one portion. 80g is about the size of a pack of cards.

B is for Bones

Meat can have an adverse effect on bone health. The digestive process of protein leaves acid residues in the body that need to be neutralised with alkalising minerals-and these may be taken from the bones leading to a higher risk of osteoporosis and other conditions. While green leafy vegetables are high in calcium, red meat has a low level and can cause excess acid to form, creating bone problems for future.

B is for Breast Cancer

A study from Harvard Medical School suggested that eating more than 100g of red meat a day could double the risk of a woman developing breast cancer. The risk was associated with young women who had not yet gone through the menopause. The study was among women in US where animals are given growth hormones that are banned in EU.

C is for Cholesterol

Red meat is one of the first foods that doctors advise patients to stop eating if they are at risk of heart disease because it contains high levels of dietary cholesterol.

F is for food poisoning

Beef, lamb and pork are the cause of one in six out breaks of food poisoning.