Why do so many people think meat is essential? (NOT DEBATE)

The answer to this question is usually based on the person conveying it. Sometimes it will be born out of concern(based on Ignorance) that you are not getting the right nutrition to remain healthy and other times it will said in a derogatory way(once again based on ignorance). Basically this idea is based upon an antiquated nutritional system that believes meat and dairy are the only ways to obtain certain dietary needs e.g. protein, calcium, iron etc. There is a abundance of evidence that not only supports the concept of an adequate non-meat diet, but also evidence that shows that not eating meat or animal products is much healthier for you if done properly. As meat consumption is seen as the norm you will encounter a lot of ignorance manifesting in displays of both concern and other times down right insulting arguments .People are usually are frightened by new concepts

here is an example of some data collected.

The China Study (2005) is a book by T. Colin Campbell, Jacob Gould Schurman Professor Emeritus of Nutritional Biochemistry at Cornell University, and his son Thomas M. Campbell II, a physician. It examines the relationship between the consumption of animal products and a variety of chronic illnesses, such as coronary heart disease, diabetes, and cancers of the breast, prostate and bowel.[2] The book had sold 750,000 copies as of January 2013.[3] It is one of America's best-selling books about nutrition.[4]

The China Study of the title is taken from the China-Cornell-Oxford Project, a 20-year study that began in 1983 and was conducted jointly by the Chinese Academy of Preventive Medicine, Cornell University, and the University of Oxford.[5] T. Colin Campbell was one of the directors of the project, described by The New York Times in 1990 as "the Grand Prix of epidemiology".[6]

The study examined mortality rates from 48 forms of cancer and other chronic diseases from 1973 to 75 in 65 counties in China, and correlated them with 1983–84 dietary surveys and blood-work from 6,500 people, 100 from each county. It concluded that counties with a high consumption of animal-based foods in 1983–84 were more likely to have had higher death rates from "Western" diseases as of 1973–75, while the opposite was true for counties that ate more plant foods in 1983–84. The study was conducted in those counties because they had genetically similar populations that tended, over generations, to live in the same way in the same place, and eat diets specific to those regions.[7]

The authors conclude that people who eat a plant-based/vegan diet—avoiding animal products such as beef, pork, poultry, fish, eggs, cheese, and milk, and reducing their intake of processed foods and refined carbohydrates—will escape, reduce or reverse the development of chronic diseases. They also recommend adequate amounts of sunshine to maintain sufficient levels of vitamin D, and supplements of vitamin B12 in case of complete avoidance of animal products. etc,etc

Good luck making your own mind up,its your life to live so don't let anyone tell you how to live it. enjoy

The China Study has been thoroughly debated on mfp on other treads. My understanding is that while it's a very large study, it's also extremely flawed.

The China Study was just an example. As with most study's they are easy to critique and find flaws.Especially if you have opposing beliefs to the outcome of said study (Not I'm suggesting that you do) I do agree that a study of that magnitude will have its faults especially when its an observational study as opposed to a study done in an controlled environment, which is obviously impossible considering the amount of time, people etc. But then the same logic for these flaws can be applied to any other study of this magnitude. Anyway it was only meant as an example......... p.s sorry for the double post.

I don't care what the science is or the numbers or any of that crap.

Primates developed more complex brains and became human in part because they ate meat. Without that step I'm pretty sure we wouldn't be human.

That's good enough for me. Protein from meat gave us brains, and I like brains. I could never be a vegan or vegetarian.

I don't really care about what we're doing to animals in cages or any of that stuff either. There's a pecking order in nature, and nature is cruel. Humans are naturally cruel and animals do as bad or worse to each other. I'm all for humanitarian treatment where possible, but I also prioritize humans as the most important animal on earth. When I was born we were 3.5 billion in number and now we are 7 billion. Within my lifetime we will be 9 billion. I want to make sure humans are fed well, and if that means several hundred billion chickens lose out then so be it.

Eating meat really has nothing to do with the development of the cerebral cortex. Elephants have a very developed cerebral cortex and they are herbivores.

I have some friends and a number of people I work with who are vegetarian. I'm not prepared to give up meat but I am trying to cut down my meat intake to once a day instead of twice. I'm learning so much more about food and cooking with legumes and mushrooms!

As to why people think it's essential, it comes down to meat as a high source of protein and conflicting scientific research. It's a lot harder to get your protein without meat and whenever someone cites a study that says people are omnivores, vegans can cite one that claims we are herbivores.

Eating less meat definitely has benefits, both health and environmental, but cutting it out completely isn't going to be for everyone. Starting by cutting down how much meat we eat is a good start though.