Meat is crucial to human health, scientists say as they call for an end to the ‘jealousy’ pushing vegetarian and vegan diets
- Scientists have said farming is too important to ‘fall victim to zeal’
Scientists have called on supporters to stop forcing vegetarian and vegan diets on people, warning that meat is crucial to a healthy lifestyle.
Nearly 1,000 academics from leading universities around the world have signed an initiative arguing that animal husbandry is too important to “fall victim to zeal.”
Dozens of experts published in the academic journal Animal Frontiers, as part of a collaboration between professional animal science societies, behind new claims that eating meat causes disease and harms the planet.
It comes amid increased push from campaigners to adopt a plant-based diet, with initiatives such as Veganuary and Meatfree Mondays.
In addition, the medical journal The Lancet published a paper in 2020 The Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries and Risk Factor Study, saying that a diet high in red meat was responsible for 896,000 deaths worldwide.
Nearly 1,000 academics from leading universities around the world have signed an initiative arguing that animal husbandry is too important to ‘fall victim to zeal’
However, researchers found that it is difficult to replicate the nutritional value of meat.
It added that those living in poorer communities who have low meat intakes often suffer from a number of nutrient-deficient diseases, such as stunted growth, wasting and anemia. That reports the Telegraph.
Researchers in Animal Frontiers said that raw meat is responsible for providing B12 vitamins, omega-3 fatty acids and minerals, such as iron and zinc, as well as providing retinol.
The paper suggested that the link between red meat and disease was all but eradicated when combined with a healthy diet, leading to the suggestion that the rest of the diet is at the root of health problems.
One of the authors of the peer review, Dr Alice Stanton of the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland, explained that peer-reviewed evidence showed that the claim of the Global Burden study was ‘fatal scientifically flawed’.
Researchers found that it is difficult to replicate the nutritional value of meat
She added: “Eliminating fresh meat and dairy products from diets would harm human health. Women, children, the elderly and [people on] low incomes would be particularly negatively affected
“Foods derived from livestock provide a variety of essential nutrients and other health-promoting compounds, many of which are lacking in the diet, even among higher-income populations,” the statement states.
“People with sufficient resources may be able to achieve adequate diets while heavily restricting meat, dairy products and eggs. However, this approach should not be recommended for the general population.’
Another report, author Dr. Wilhelm Windisch, from the Technical University of Munich, added: ‘One-size-fits-all agendas, such as the drastic reduction of livestock numbers, can have enormous environmental and nutritional consequences.’