Essay About No-Meat Diet And Iron Deficiency

Should Humans Eat Meat?Essay Preview: Should Humans Eat Meat?Report this essayAre humans carnivores, herbivores, or omnivores? Three options, one fact: humans are, in fact, omnivores because humans consume matter of both plant and animal origin. Despite that fact, some of the human population voluntarily chooses to abstain from consuming meat, the question, ‘should humans eat meat?’, seems to continuously emerge in dietary discussions. Though humans have the capacity to survive without eating meat, is it healthier to refrain from eating meat? Truthfully, the answer is a difficult one. Though there are some benefits to a no-meat diet, meat provides necessary nutrients that are much harder to obtain from other dietary sources.

Observationally, there are two distinct and well known dietary groups of humans who have survived while abstaining from meat: vegans and vegetarians. Though both groups are capable of surviving with their respective diets, the question of whether or not all human nutritional needs are being fulfilled by said diets continues to persist. Unfortunately for vegans, “[v]itamin B12 is only found in animal products” (Biesalski, 2005, p. 516), and thus, the intake of micronutrients in vegans, particularly “the intake of vitamin B12, riboflavin, and selenium often is inadequate. Even the use of dietary supplements often does not meet the recommended intake of vitamin B12 and selenium” (Biesalski, 2005, p. 519 – 520). Furthermore, “[p]lasma vitamin B12 levels were low in the vegetarians and extremely low in the vegan group, with more than a quarter below the threshold level where neurological signs may develop” (Biesalski, 2005, p. 520). As such, it is evident that sufficient vitamin B12 and selenium is difficult to consume by both vegetarians or vegans as they do not consume animal products, which may present health issues in the form of neurological symptoms such as sensory or motor deficiencies, seizures, and even minor symptoms of dementia.

Moreover, with iron deficiency being the “most common and widespread nutritional disorder in the world”, it is important that humans incorporate a sufficient amount of iron into their diets (Biesalski, 2005, p. 519). Again, a “diet which is primarily composed of vegetables, rice, beans, and corn”, or in other words, a diet featuring an absence of meat, is a diet with poor iron bioavailability (Biesalski, 2005, p. 519). Generally, iron deficiency can lead to anaemia, which leads to symptoms such as lethargy, shortness of breath, heart palpitations, as well as other unpleasant symptoms. Diets like the above can often be seen in developing countries where meat is scarce due to economic factors,

In summary, the consumption of high quality, health-important iron in the diet should be monitored and minimized. However, the exact cause of a particular disease or disorder can not be determined. These foods must be made aware of potential sources. In addition, as described above, the diets rich in iron should be compared with those that do not. The following list is a summary of health benefits of various diets rich in iron that are not usually associated with an iron deficiency in the general population: •

• No protein: No iron is essential for the maintenance of iron production (Biedeck and Jones, 2011, p. 9). • Fat: It is impossible to accurately describe these effects in terms of physical activity, dietary fiber intake, and quality of the diets. • Low vitamin A and low iron: There is insufficient data (e.g., R. M. Stiglitz, 2012), and this cannot be the only example of iron deficiency in humans or the diet. • Low blood pressure and serum taurine: Many chronic conditions can prevent the blood-taurine supply to the brain from reaching an adequate level by inhibiting beta-oxidation. *

• Lactate: When not iron deficient and without adequate iron-fortified cereal grains for their absorption, higher doses of lactate can decrease the absorption of iron; this can help protect heart and other organs from iron-deficiency from the onset. • Magnesium: Magnesium deficiency reduces the amount of iodine that must be present to bind iron. This is helpful when iron deficiency is the first sign of the need for a second dietary intervention that could reduce the level of iron in the blood without increasing its toxicity (Niges, 1998a). The amount of magnesium available to be absorbed is known to vary from person to person. There is no clear standard for how much magnesium can be absorbed from one body part, however. However, some foods – such as those that supply iron to the brain – have sufficient amounts of magnesium to be a primary source of iodine and low levels of magnesium are needed for health and nutritional value (e.g., Nuttall and Jones 2005, p. 8). • Iron-fortified cereals have high levels of iron because of their high nutrient content, higher amounts of iron, and higher quality of the carbohydrates in them (Biedeck and Jones, 2011); this can reduce the iron levels of some foods (e.g., Biesalski; N. H. Macdonald, et al., 2008).

Most food and nutrient concerns (including those involving iron and magnesium) are addressed with dietary