Meat is a very controversial food today, so much so that we are seeing an increasing number of people switch to a vegetarian or at least a flexitarian diet - which consists of eating meat only occasionally. The question inevitably arises of the interest of eating meat. If we put aside the purely gustatory aspect, are human beings today made to eat meat or should they naturally turn instead to a vegetable diet?
According to the latest report from the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations , global meat production is expected to grow by 2.2% in 2021 to reach 346 million tonnes. For ethical (animal welfare) and/or environmental reasons (livestock farming being a major source of greenhouse gases, deforestation and pollution of waterways), many people have nevertheless chosen to reduce their meat consumption.
Meat is an excellent source of protein and vitamin B12 — an essential vitamin for the proper functioning of the brain, nervous system and blood formation. It is also rich in iron. Therefore, it seems logical to integrate it into our diet. In fact, some evolutionary scientists believe that eating meat would have given early humans the nutrients needed for brain development and cognitive abilities. But today we benefit from several other sources of protein, so is it normal/relevant for humans to continue to feed on other animals?
4 to 2 million years ago, australopithecines ate plants:roots, leaves and fruits. This diet was gradually enriched with insects, eggs and small animals (birds and rodents):Homo habilis is then omnivorous. Then, through hunting, Homo erectus eat more and more meat. Homo sapiens is a true hunter-gatherer; he settled down, which allowed him to raise animals and grow cereals and vegetables. In summary, humans have been eating meat for hundreds of thousands of years.
From an anatomical point of view, it is clear that modern humans are not really endowed with attributes conducive to meat consumption:if we compare our teeth to those of other carnivorous mammals (lion, tiger, fox, bear, dog, etc.) for example, we seem to lack long canines and sharp molars. Nor do we display the unique characteristics of herbivores:their teeth are often broad and flat, adapted to crushing plants; they also have a much longer digestive tract, because the fibers they consume are particularly difficult to digest.
Nature is generally well made and most species have dentition and a digestive system adapted to their diet; ours are apparently designed for a varied diet, mixing animal and vegetable matter. If we examine our closest relatives, the great apes, we find that their diet consists of nuts, fruits, leaves, insects and – only occasionally – animal flesh. From an evolutionary point of view, we should therefore have adopted a similar diet, mainly vegetarian and occasionally enriched with a little meat.
Some researchers now believe that a greater consumption of meat has contributed to brain (language, communication) and motor (bipedal position) development in humans. Since the brain is one of the most energy-consuming organs, increasing its size would have led to a reduction in the size of other energy-consuming organs, notably the digestive tract - which turns out to be smaller than expected for a primate of our body size.
In any case, we now live in a completely different society, which offers much more varied food choices than in the days of our ancestors. And the consumption of meat no longer seems so essential to gather the nutrients essential for the growth and development of human beings. On the contrary, it seems that it now affects our body in a deleterious way.
The problem is that certain methods of cooking and preparing meats can seriously damage your health. When barbecued, or smoked at high temperatures, grease is released and drips onto hot cooking surfaces:this produces toxic compounds called polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), which can leach into the meat; these PAHs are known carcinogens. In addition, heterocyclic aromatic amines (AHAs), most of which have also been shown to cause cancer, are formed when meat is heated to high temperatures.
Several studies link high consumption of red meat to the risk of developing chronic disease, including several types of cancer, including colorectal, prostate, kidney and breast cancer. Thus, in 2015, the International Agency for Research on Cancer classified the consumption of red meats (beef, veal, pork, lamb, mutton, horse and goat) as "probably carcinogenic" for humans, and that of meats processed (after salting, maturation, fermentation, etc.) as a "carcinogen". On the contrary, it has been proven that a vegetarian diet can promote health and reduce the risk of major chronic diseases.
It should also be noted that cases of meat allergies have been reported since 2009 in the United States, Australia and several European countries. This emerging form of food allergy is caused by a molecule, galactose-alpha-1,3-galactose (or alpha gal), a carbohydrate present in the meat of all mammals, except primates.
Too much meat is not only a danger to human health, but also to the planet:today, intensive farming is responsible for 14.5% to 16.5% of greenhouse gas emissions more than the emissions of the entire international transport sector. In addition, “every year, more than 64 billion land animals and 1000 billion marine animals are killed for our consumption “, underlined recently the Swiss association PEA – For animal equality, on the occasion of the world day of veganism.
Can things change, are entrecôte, roast and lamb fans ready to do without their favorite dishes? The incentive to consume less meat - and animal products in general - and better, is gradually entering the consciousness; as proof, the arrival of weekly vegetarian menus in school canteens. A survey by the Climate Action Network and Harris Interactive, carried out in February 2021, also revealed that around half of French people had reduced their meat consumption in the last 3 years and that 30% would like to continue on this path over the next few years. next 3 years.
There are many other sources of protein:fish, eggs, legumes (lentils, beans, peas, soybeans, etc.), oleaginous fruits (walnuts, almonds, hazelnuts), cereals, etc. As for vitamin B12, it is present in crustaceans and molluscs, fatty fish (sardines, mackerel), and dairy products (cheese, milk, yogurt). Meat is therefore no longer a real need these days and everything leads us to believe that human beings would benefit from greatly restricting their consumption, especially with regard to red meat, both for their own health and for that of the planet. .
