Risks & Benefits
Risks of eating too much meat
Colon Cancer risks:
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,144062,00.html is an article published last week the mainstream news (selfAdjoint referred to it). An excerpt from the article says, “Bad news for beef eaters: Red meat really does increase your risk of colon cancer. It's not exactly news. Many studies suggest that people who eat the most meat get the most cancer. Now a huge, 20-year study from the American Cancer Society confirms these findings. The bottom line: Those who eat the most red meat — beef and/or pork and/or processed meat products — get colon cancer 30 to 40 percent more.”
Heart Disease risks:
http://www.csiro.au/index.asp?type=faq&id=RedMeat&stylesheet=divisionFaq is a short article on the danger of cholesterol from fatty red meat, although I’d think everyone knows this by now.
Rheumatoid Arthritis Risk:
http://www.healthtalk.ca/arthritis_risk_12022004_1992.php is an article published last month it says, “If you like to eat red meat you may be at an increased risk of developing rheumatoid arthritis, according to a British study in the December issue of
Arthritis & Rheumatism. . . . The researchers found that people who eat a lot of red meat have twice the risk of developing rheumatoid arthritis. They also found that patients who consumed high levels of red meat combined with other meat products had a similar risk.”
Increased Breast Cancer Risk:
http://www.cnn.com/HEALTH/9811/17/breast.cancer.meat/ is an article on how eating well-done meat can quadruple the risk of breast cancer.
Increased Risk for Endometriosis:
Here a study shows that “. . . women who ate meat every day were up to twice as likely to have endometriosis than women who ate less meat and more fruit and vegetables.”
Increased Risk of Gout:
Here is an article which discusses, “A pioneering study nails down the dietary causes of the painful, joint-wrecking disease gout, and they turn out to be similar to those for heart disease and stroke . . . Foremost, a diet rich in red meats is associated with an increased risk of gout, says a report in the March 11 issue of the
New England Journal of Medicine that's based on data from the long-running Health Professionals Follow-up Study.”
Link indicated to Increased Risk of Diabetes:
http://www.healthandage.com/Home/gm=20!gid2=2809 a study is reported on the risks of the type of iron found in red meat. An excerpt says, “The diets were evaluated for total iron intake, total heme iron1, heme iron derived from red meat, and heme iron from non-red meat sources. . . . in the case of total heme iron, there was a clear trend, suggesting that those with the highest heme iron intake were about one-and-a-quarter times more likely to develop diabetes than those with the lowest intake. . . . Those men reporting the highest intake of red meat heme iron were about 1.6 times more likely to develop diabetes than those with the lowest intake.”
Also, among the articles listed in this post are other cited dangers of eating too much red meat such as increased risks for osteoporosis, kidney disease, obesity, food poisoning from E. coli, botulism, salmonella, etc., and for all cancers. Now compare that to:
Benefits of a Vegetarian Diet
Here is a general article by Loma Linda University on the advantages of a vegetarian or nearly vegetarian diet. An excerpt says “Meat is often touted as a super source of nutrients such as protein, iron, and zinc. But are you in danger of deficiency if you don't eat meat? Not if you consume a well-balanced vegetarian diet. A single serving of meat provides roughly 25 grams of protein or about one-half the RDA. This means that the average meat eater gets far more protein than he or she needs, and is at greater risk for problems like osteoporosis and possibly kidney disease. Vegetarians, on the other hand, have adequate but not excessive intakes of protein. A cup of beans provides about 15 grams of protein, and a half cup of grains or vegetables provides about 3 grams. This means that meeting protein needs on a vegetarian diet--with or without animal products like dairy and eggs--is a breeze, provided you eat a variety of plant foods.”
http://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/pyramids.html is a very interesting article by the Harvard School of Public Health. I don’t know if you are familiar with the “food guide pyramid,” but recently Harvard decided to reorganize it to include what we’ve learned about diets. An excerpt says, “ A decade ago, the U.S. Department of Agriculture created a powerful and enduring icon - the Food Guide Pyramid. This simple illustration can convey in a flash the elements of a healthy diet. Today it is taught in schools, appears in countless media articles and brochures, and even shows up on cereal boxes and food labels. Unfortunately, the information embodied in this pyramid doesn't point the way to healthy eating. Why not? Its blueprint was based on shaky scientific evidence, and it hasn't appreciably changed over the years to reflect major advances in our understanding of the connection between diet and health. . . . As an alternative to the USDA's flawed pyramid, faculty members in the Harvard School of Public Health built the Healthy Eating Pyramid. It resembles the USDA's in shape only. The Healthy Eating Pyramid takes into consideration, and puts into perspective, the wealth of research conducted during the last ten years that has reshaped the definition of healthy eating.”
http://www.vegetarian-diet.info/vegetarian-eating-healthier.htm is an excerpt a report from msnbc, “Vegetarian Eating and Vegetarian Diets - Are They Healthier? Yes, say diet nutritionists. Provided the vegetarian diet is balanced. Most studies show that vegetarians face about 30 percent lower risk of death from heart disease than do those who eat meat, fish or poultry. The effects on cancer risk are less consistent, but some studies show cancer deaths are at least 40 percent lower among vegetarians, while others show no difference. Of course, some of the benefits attributed to vegetarian eating may be related to other lifestyle choices: as a group, vegetarians often keep physically active, don’t use tobacco and avoid or limit alcohol. The greater consumption of fruits and vegetables usually associated with a vegetarian diet represents a major health benefit because of the vitamins, minerals, cancer-fighting phytochemicals and dietary fiber they supply. . . . One of the major heart-related benefits of vegetarian eating is probably the low level of cholesterol-raising saturated fat in these diets, but this doesn’t mean completely omitting meat from the diet is necessary for good health. Foods like fish, skinless poultry and even lean red meats don’t add much saturated fat, as long as portions are kept moderate.”
MOLECULES! This is a science site isn't? Don't be underestimating the toxic potential of meat molecules.
I'm only 5'2" and 125 lbs. I surprise people by how strong I am because they look at me and expect me to be a bit of a wimp given my small size. 
Hmm, I have this really tasty honey mustard, maybe that would work??
