MEAT CONSUMPTION AND HUMAN HEALTH

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Abstract
Meat and meat products are excellent sources of protein for the human dietary. There are, however, concerns that consumption of meat may not be in the best interests of health. These concerns date to the nineteenth century, at which time a number of "pure-food 'advocates'" equated the consumption of meat with a variety of conditions including dermatitis, arteriosclerosis, constipation, flatulence etc. and with moral laxness. In recent years, there has been concern that consumption of meat could lead to increased intake of cholesterol and saturated fatty acids which are thought to have an adverse effect on cardiovascular health. Examination of current knowledge suggests that dietary intake of cholesterol and saturated fatty acids are not primary aetiological agents for the development of atherosclerosis. There is a suggestion in the literature that meat proteins themselves may be atherogenic. The theory is that consumption of meats that are rich in methionine leads to the development of high circulating levels of homocysteine which causes atheromatous lesions to develop. Induction of homocysteinaemia by vitamin B6 deficiency did not result in the development of atherosclerosis, however, which sheds some doubt on the theory that meat proteins are atherogenic. A review of current literature reveals that there is no concrete reason to suspect that meat consumption poses any threat to human health. Key words: Meat, health, heart, fat, cholesterol

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