Some people want to save the animals, while others are trying to protect the environment or just eat a healthier diet, and many of them are cutting back on red meat. Keep reading to find out what to expect after stopping red meat consumption.
1. Your skin may look better
It all starts on the inside when it comes to having clear skin. Consume plenty of fruits and vegetables, which are high in vitamins A, C, and E, which are known to battle blemish-causing free radicals.
2. Your cholesterol levels might decrease
Reduce the quantity of saturated fats in your diet by avoiding red meat, which has been linked to higher cholesterol levels. Saturated fat should make up no more than 5 to 6% of your daily calories, according to the American Heart Association. This equilibrium lowers the risk of elevated cholesterol, which can contribute to plaque development in arterial walls. Atherosclerosis is a buildup of plaque in the arteries that can cause heart attack, coronary artery disease (CAD), stroke, or transient ischemic attack (TIA), as well as peripheral arterial disease.
3. You’ll be less acidic
A healthy pH balance is required for optimal health. However, acid-forming foods, such as red meat, make up a large part of today's convenience diet. The body must absorb and neutralize a high acidic load from red meat. Furthermore, elevated acidity in the body produces the ideal environment for disease to flourish.
4. You can reduce the risk of serious conditions
Cutting out red meat may lower the risk of a variety of issues. High levels of saturated fat in red meat have been related to an increased risk of cardiovascular disease, obesity, and diabetes.
Eating red meat produces a chemical that may increase the risk of heart attacks, according to a 2018 study published in the European Heart Journal. Carnitine, which causes the body to create Trimethylamine-N-oxide (TMAO), may interfere with cholesterol metabolism, resulting in increased plaque formation on blood vessel walls and an increased risk of heart disease.
Beef eaters may potentially be putting themselves at risk for Alzheimer's disease. The association was blamed on excessive iron accumulation from eating too much red meat in a 2017 study published in the British Medical Journal.
5. You may lose weight
Red meat is high in calories. If you eliminate it from your daily diet, you may notice a reduction in your weight. The majority of meat meals exceed the daily protein requirement. A three-ounce meal of beef can have approximately 170 calories. However, a serving of beans can contain around 100 calories, while a portion of tofu can include roughly 70 calories.
People who ate a vegetarian diet lost more weight than those who ate a non-vegetarian diet, according to a review article published in the Journal of General Internal Medicine in 2015. Vegans also lost more weight than those who continued to consume eggs and dairy products.
6. You may experience less bloating
Because red meat takes longer to digest than other foods, you may experience constipation, stomach pain, and increased gas after a giant steak dinner. While you may suffer some indigestion after eliminating red meat from your diet, this is primarily due to eating more nutritious, fiber-rich foods. In the long run, you'll add beneficial bacteria to your stomach, which may reduce overall inflammation and make you feel less bloated.
7. You can reduce the risk of cancer
Saturated fat-rich diets have been linked to increased levels of inflammation throughout the body, and chronic inflammation has been connected to cancer development.
The World Health Organization (WHO) designated red meat as a possible carcinogen in 2015, indicating that it has the potential to cause cancer. A high intake of red meat has been linked to an increased risk of cancer, particularly colon cancer.
According to a study published in the International Journal of Epidemiology in 2019, eating 76 grams (about 2.6 ounces) of red or processed meat per day was linked to a 20% increased risk of colorectal cancer compared to eating only around 21 grams per day.