7 Things That Happen When You Stop Eating Meat
If you are considering taking on a vegetarian diet but are still uncertain about it, this might just be the right article for you. People always say that meat provides our body with the nutrients it needs but fortunately (or unfortunately for some), studies have proven otherwise. Meat is in fact one of the most common factors leading to heart disease, diabetes and even cancer.
There are many athletes who are vegetarians and they themselves have said that a plant-based diet results in a healthier lifestyle and body. Vegetables and fruits are highly nutritious, and some even give us more protein than a piece of meat does.
This is indeed an interesting study and I highly recommend that you spend some time reading and digesting the information. I hope this article clears the misconception that we must eat meat to stay healthy and helps you to make not only a healthy choice but also a wise and compassionate one.
Tsem Rinpoche
7 Things That Happen When You Stop Eating Meat
Michelle Mcmacken, MD | January 12, 2016
People go plant-based for lots of reasons. These include losing weight, feeling more energetic, reducing the risk of heart disease, decreasing the number of pills they take … there are dozens of great reasons! For even more inspiration, check out these other benefits you can expect when you go plant-based.
1. You’ll reduce inflammation in your body
If you are eating meat, cheese, and highly processed foods, chances are you have elevated levels of inflammation in your body. While short-term inflammation (such as after an injury) is normal and necessary, inflammation that lasts for months or years is not. Chronic inflammation has been linked to the development of atherosclerosis, heart attacks, strokes, diabetes, and autoimmune diseases, among other conditions.
In contrast, plant-based diets are naturally anti-inflammatory, because they are high in fiber, antioxidants, and other phytonutrients, and much lower in inflammatory triggers like saturated fat and endotoxins (toxins released from bacteria commonly found in animal foods). Studies have shown that people who adopt plant-based diets can dramatically lower their level of C-reactive protein (CRP), an indicator of inflammation in the body.
2. Your blood cholesterol levels will plummet
Elevated blood cholesterol is a key risk factor for heart disease and strokes, two of the leading killers in the United States. Saturated fat—primarily found in meat, poultry, cheese, and other animal products—is a major driver of our blood cholesterol levels. Cholesterol in our food also plays a role.
Studies consistently show that when people go plant based, their blood cholesterol levels drop by up to 35% . In many cases, the decrease is equal to that seen with drug therapy—with many positive side effects! People who require cholesterol-lowering drugs can further slash their cholesterol levels and cardiovascular risk by adopting a plant-based diet.
Whole-food, plant-based diets reduce blood cholesterol because they tend to be very low in saturated fat and they contain zero cholesterol. Moreover, plant-based diets are high in fiber, which further reduces blood cholesterol levels. Soy has also been shown to play a role in lowering cholesterol, for those who choose to include it.
3. You’ll give your microbiome a makeover
The trillions of microorganisms living in our bodies are collectively called the microbiome. Increasingly, these microorganisms are recognized as crucial to our overall health: not only do they help us digest our food, but they produce critical nutrients, train our immune systems, turn genes on and off, keep our gut tissue healthy, and help protect us from cancer. Studies have also shown they play a role in obesity, diabetes, atherosclerosis, autoimmune disease, inflammatory bowel disease, and liver disease.
Plant foods help shape a healthy intestinal microbiome. The fiber in plant foods promotes the growth of “friendly” bacteria in our guts. On the other hand, fiber-poor diets (such as those that are high in dairy, eggs, and meat) can foster the growth of disease-promoting bacteria. Landmark studies have shown that when omnivores eat choline or carnitine (found in meat, poultry, seafood, eggs, and dairy), gut bacteria make a substance that is converted by our liver to a toxic product called TMAO. TMAO leads to worsening cholesterol plaques in our blood vessels and escalates the risk of heart attack and stroke.
Interestingly, people eating plant-based diets make little or no TMAO after a meat-containing meal, because they have a totally different gut microbiome. It takes only a few days for our gut bacterial patterns to change – the benefits of a plant-based diet start quickly!
4. You’ll change how your genes work
Scientists have made the remarkable discovery that environmental and lifestyle factors can turn genes on and off. For example, the antioxidants and other nutrients we eat in whole plant foods can change gene expression to optimize how our cells repair damaged DNA. Research has also shown that lifestyle changes, including a plant-based diet, can decrease the expression of cancer genes in men with low-risk prostate cancer. We’ve even seen that a plant-based diet, along with other lifestyle changes, can lengthen our telomeres—the caps at the end of our chromosomes that help keep our DNA stable. This might mean that our cells and tissues age more slowly, since shortened telomeres are associated with aging and earlier death.
5. You’ll dramatically reduce your chances of getting type 2 diabetes
An estimated 38% of Americans have prediabetes—a precursor to type 2 diabetes. Animal protein, especially red and processed meat, has been shown in study after study to increase the risk of type 2 diabetes. In the Adventist population, omnivores have double the rate of diabetes compared with vegans, even accounting for differences in body weight. In fact, in this population, eating meat once a week or more over a 17-year period increased the risk of diabetes by 74%! Similarly, in the Health Professionals Follow-up Study and Nurses Health Study, increasing red meat intake by more than just half a serving per day was associated with a 48% increased risk in diabetes over 4 years.
Why would meat cause type 2 diabetes? Several reasons: animal fat, animal-based (heme) iron, and nitrate preservatives in meat have been found to damage pancreatic cells, worsen inflammation, cause weight gain, and impair the way our insulin functions.
You will dramatically lessen your chances of getting type 2 diabetes by leaving animal products off of your plate and eating a diet based in whole plant foods. This is especially true if you eat whole grains, which are highly protective against type 2 diabetes. You read that right: carbs actually protect you from diabetes! Also, a plant-based diet can improve or even reverse your diabetes if you’ve already been diagnosed.
6. You’ll get the right amount—and the right type—of protein
The average omnivore in the US gets more than 1.5 times the optimal amount of protein, most of it from animal sources.
Contrary to popular perception, this excess protein does not make us stronger or leaner. Excess protein is stored as fat or turned into waste, and animal protein is a major cause of weight gain, heart disease, diabetes, inflammation, and cancer.
On the other hand, the protein found in whole plant foods protects us from many chronic diseases. There is no need to track protein intake or use protein supplements with plant-based diets; if you are meeting your daily calorie needs, you will get plenty of protein. The longest-lived people on Earth, those living in the “Blue Zones,” get about 10% of their calories from protein, compared with the US average of 15-20%.
7. You’ll make a huge impact on the health of our planet and its inhabitants
Animal agriculture is extremely destructive to the planet. It is the single largest contributor to greenhouse gas emissions, and is a leading cause of land and water use, deforestation, wildlife destruction, and species extinction. About 2,000 gallons of water are needed to produce just one pound of beef in the U.S. Our oceans are rapidly becoming depleted of fish; by some estimates, oceans may be fishless by 2048. The current food system, based on meat and dairy production, also contributes to world hunger—the majority of crops grown worldwide go toward feeding livestock, not feeding people.
Equally important, animals raised for food are sentient beings who suffer, whether raised in industrial factory farms or in farms labeled “humane.” Eating a plant-based diet helps us lead a more compassionate life. After all, being healthy is not just about the food we eat; it’s also about our consciousness—our awareness of how our choices affect the planet and all of those with whom we share it.
Source: http://www.forksoverknives.com/7-things-that-happen-when-you-stop-eating-meat/?fb_ref=577149f7346041d5ae46d7a6216c96d6-Facebook
For more interesting topics:
- 20 Ultimate Health Benefits Of Guava
- A Seed That Can Kill Cancer Cells?
- Dr Jiang’s DELICIOUS HEALTHY RECIPES/videos
- BEWARE! Too dangerous for you!!
- What is 200 Calories?
Please support us so that we can continue to bring you more Dharma:
If you are in the United States, please note that your offerings and contributions are tax deductible. ~ the tsemrinpoche.com blog team
Cutting out meat from your diet can be tricky, but luckily there are many products on the market that make it a bit easier these days. That’s good news because becoming a vegetarian may yield great results for your physique that make the effort worthwhile. Not only is it more environmentally friendly to skip these animal proteins, but it can reduce your risk factor for certain diseases, have positive effects on your appearance, and potentially increase your lifespan. There are also drawbacks that may require preventative measures on the new vegetarian’s part, so here’s a breakdown of what will happen to your body, inside and out, if and when you decide to declare yourself a herbivore.
Here’s how you can expect your body to change when you boot red meat from the menu.
– You might lose some weight
– You’ll be less acidic
– You may feel less bloated
– Your skin might improve
The decision to stop eating meat comes with a lot of pros, but it isn’t all good news. A vegetarian diet may require the use of certain supplements, which can ensure the requisite amounts of nutrients that might be lost in transition.
One common problem people have when flushing out the flesh foods is a zinc deficiency since that vitamin is most often found in red meat and shellfish. Plus, vegetarian foods are high in phytic acid which interferes with zinc absorption. The effects of that deficiency may include a weakened immune system, loss of memory, eyesight and tastebuds, an onset of diarrhea, allergic reactions, hair loss, and body rashes.
Other essential vitamins that may become depleted in the process of becoming a meat-free eater include B12, calcium, iron. For those that are careful with their menus, however, this can be addressed without the use of vitamin supplements. Vitamin B12 is found in yeast and certain cereals, while calcium can be derived from foods like almonds, bread, milk, and sesame seeds. Nuts, dried fruit, beans, and broccoli are all high in iron and would be assets to a vegetarian’s diet.
Giving up eating meat and becoming a vegetarian can be extremely gratifying for your body and mind — and not just because you’re reducing your carbon footprint. It also has proven health benefits that include certain disease prevention and digestive health increases. However, it requires some attentive planning on the meal front to ensure that you’re getting all of the nutrients your body needs.
Articles like these are very important and useful because reader can know how vegetarianism will benefit them.Many people say that it is necessary to eat meat to get certain protein but in actual vegetables contains the whole foods.
One of good thing surely will happen when stop eating meat,our health will definitely improve .Thank you very much for sharing such a good post.
I stopped eating meat and I don’t feel any better or worse and that is 7 years on
There are many reasons why people take on a vegetarian diet. Some become a vegetarian because of their religious belief; some take on a vegetarian diet because of health reasons; some can’t bear to see how the animals are suffering.
Regardless of the reasons, the result of taking on a vegetarian diet will show directly in our health. Our body will become lighter because it does not have to spend so much energy to digest the meat. It is also scientifically proven that the risk of getting heart disease and cancer for vegetarians is lower than the meat eaters.
Vegetarian meals are very nutritious and delicious, we can get iron, protein from non-meat products such as nuts, legumes, and tofu. Vegetarian meals do not mean just vegetables or green salad. There are vegetarian burgers, pizzas, curry, dim sum, etc., available in the market and they are very tasty. Isn’t it good when the meal we are eating doesn’t involve killing?
A lot of people think that we will not have sufficient nutrients if we do not eat meat. We will be weak and lack of energy. However this is not true as we can get protein from other non animal based source. The above articles has shared 7 good benefits of not eating meat. I have reduce meat intake tremendously since last year and I do not feel weak and my digestive system improve. Hence, I believe it is our mindset that determine what we want. By not taking meat, we are in fact creating cause for not killing and build our compassion towards other living beings. Hence, we should support vegetarian and share the many benefits of not eating meat to all.
Thank you Rinpoche for sharing this great information. The facts above actually surprised me a bit, prior to reading this article, I did not know that being a vegetarian could help reduce the chances of getting type 2 diabetes. I believe we can always try to change our diet to eat more vegetables and less meat if we want to. i have cut down my intake of meat to 90% now.
Thank you Rinpoche for sharing this wonderful article.
.One of the most significant things that will happen when we stop eating meat is that our health will definitely improve.There are dozens of great reasons to go vegetarian and it benefits us more then harm.Its good being a vegetarian can help less sufferings of those poor livestocks being kill. There is alot people have the misconception that they must eat meat to stay healthy. To go on vegetarian is a healthy choice but also a wise and compassionate one.
Thank you Rinpoche for this article on meat eating, I would like to share my own experience on this subject. Some chapters of my story may appear horrifying therefore kindly discontinue if it disturbs your mind however I will relate my true life experience as far as I can remember. Not many of you would have this experience but somehow it has left a wound in me until today and has not healed completely when relating this very unfortunate event that I had to witness.
My story began during the seventies with my stepfather, he was a very rich man never had to work a day in his life, the only job he likes is gambling and he owns a racing horse, he will go to all over Malaysia to race his horse unfortunately most of the time his loss is very substantial . It came a time when his own family had to stop him otherwise all the family fortunes would be wasted away in no time. After giving up horse racing he went and joins the family business of selling beef in the wet market.
I went and stay with him for a bit of time and he will always rope me in and taught and guide me in the beef business finally it came a time when he suggested that I went with him to the abattoir to see how cows are slaughtered and how beef are then obtained before shipping it to the wet market.
We started the journey at around 4.00am when we reached the abattoir I could hear the cows cries, the stench of cow dung is pretty unbearable being there the first time was quite hard for me to bear. Finally the slaughtering began, there were two guys seen dragging the cow with a rope around his neck to the abattoir what I witness was very nauseating to say the least, the cow struggled with the two guys somehow the cows knows instinctively that his number is up I could see the cow discharging cow dung incessantly and the cries were even louder. They began to tie his head and drag it to a hole while the legs are tied up, one guy would appear with a long sharpen knife and he began to recite some prayers with one foot on top of the cow’s head and the slaughtering began he would move the knife down on the cow’s neck with a sawing motion and starts to cut it and what I saw was the saddest thing I have ever witness. The cow began his loudest cries, struggling with pain and at the same time his eyes were looking at me and honest to God as I were so near to the cow that I could see tears began to appear on his eyes. Finally, the head was cut and thrown into a section where some workers would work on it and the skinning began, after that they use an axe to chop the body into half and smoke began to appear from the cow’s body and the they take out the internal part of the cow, the stench was a mixture of cow dung and kind of a raw smell.
I stopped eating beef for many years and I left home and after several years l received a call from my mother that my step father had passed way and I enquired how did he die and she says that he had to undergo an operation where the surgeons had to open his chest and found out the cancer was not able to be contained and they decided to closed it back, he passed away the next day. He was a heavy smoker.
Ironically as I recalled he died the same way the cows were slaughtered, however today the abattoirs may have changed its methods of slaughtering and I really do not want to know or be any part of it. That was the reason when my daughter was born she was never fed any cow’s milk and was a vegetarian up till 10 years old. Today she is a vegan.
Thank you Sonny Tan for sharing your traumatic time of watching the cow being slaughtered when you were young. It must have been terrible to hear the cow’s cries, watch the plea and pain in the cow’s eyes and after the life taken away, its body being cut up to feed humans. I commend you for your change and your influence on your daughter to be conscientious eaters. I guess karma came for your stepfather but I hope you also realised the gift he had given you in his bringing you to the abattoir…he had helped you realised your compassion and empathy. May your sharing move more people to realise their meat eating habit does have effect on beings that deserves happiness just as we do.
Thank you Rinpoche for sharing this great information. Rinpoche had inspired me to be vegetarian. I told my self, if I can cut of tar and nicotine which I had addicted for more than 15 years at leaat, to go vegetarian is not so difficult.
At the beginning of transition is kind of difficult because of our habitual. Also kind of lack of knowledge what we can order at restaurant full of hawker stall.
At first I felt abit weird and akward to order noodles or fried rice in vegetarian. But after awhile to thinking deeply what is my motivation to go vegetarian and been inspired. Finally, I had overcome this situation. After all is not that hard.
Hopefully by sharing this great information people have more awareness of food they consume and what is harming their organs and causes them sick.
_/|\_ Victor Choi
Thank you Rinpoche for sharing this article that clearly allays the fears of people who are thinking of becoming vegetarian and giving up the consumption of meat. One of the greatest fears is that a plant-based diet will result in us lacking in essential nutrients and endangering our health.
Far from that happening, this article shows us, without any doubt, that a plant-based diet has all the nutrients we need and in the right proportion.One of the most significant things that will happen when we stop eating meat is that our health will definitely improve.We will reduce the likelihood of inflammation in our body, and this will avert dire consequences like heart attacks, strokes, diabetes and the like.
Furthermore, the antioxidants and other nutrients we eat in whole plant foods can help with low-risk prostrate cancer, as well as cause our cells and tissues to age more slowly.
But by far the greater positive effect of stopping the eating of meat is we will contribute to the greater health of our planet. We will help reduce – greenhouse gas emissions, wastage of land for animal agriculture and water to support the food and water needs of animals reared for meat, deforestation, wildlife destruction, and species extinction.
Thinking of so much benefit to be derived from stopping the eating of meat, don’t you think we should all endeavor to do so?
The 7 points stated above in this article are additional reasons why we should all the more be vegetarians.
The facts above actually surprised me a bit, prior to reading this article, I did not know that being a vegetarian could help reduce the chances of getting type 2 diabetes. I didn’t know that animal based iron or animal fats could destroy pancreatic cells, and impair the way insulin functions.
Many people say that it is neccesary to eat meat to get certain protiens but in actual fact, vegetables and other whole foods.
Perhaps vegetarian food should not be looked at food without meat, although it is. But looked at type of food that brings benefit to us and not expose us unnecessarily expose to be more susceptible to various diseases, and one that reduces the impact to our planet and our environment.
It’s really surprising to know that not eating meat has so many benefits. A lot of my relatives say that they really can’t eat meat as all the necessities needed is there and is not found elsewhere. But the truth is actually the opposite, eating meat could drastically shorten your life and studies have proven that vegetables contain more nutrients and vitamins as compared to meat.
All the 7 points listed above gives us more reasons to become vegetarian and also less reasons to continue eating meat.
Some people say that they can’t suddenly change to a vegetarian, that isn’t an excuse since there are ways that you can slowly become a full vegetarian one day at a time.
Hopefully this post will convince the meat gluttons to become vegetarians as they not only harm themselves but those around them could get harmed too.
Other than the many benefits of switching to a plant based diet, I have also read a number articles claiming that humans are naturally vegetarians. Our teeth, digestive system and our body are evidence of herbivores. Mankind have to create tools and weapons in order to hunt for meat, meaning in our natural form we were never equipped to hunt but we are equipped to pluck fruits and harvest vegetation.
The 7 benefits or reasons listed here are in fact more evidence that we are not by nature designed to eat meat. Through social evolution we became meat-eaters but physiologically the human body did not evolve in pace. Hence, meat diet brought along organism that the human body are not able to cope and with it various disease, illness and deteriorating physical condition.
Of the 7 reasons listed, I like to emphasize on 7 – the impact to our planet and its inhabitants. It took years of lobbying before the world finally accepting global warming. It is time we accept and recognize how destructive animal farming are to the planet. Many are still unaware of this and those who know are in denial. Animal agriculture contribution to greenhouse gas emission is shocking. If you give up driving and became a cyclist but still eat meat, your carbon footprint may still be higher than a vegan who drives a Prius. I’m not saying we should all aim for zero carbon footprint but let’s look at necessity. You may not have a choice but to drive to work everyday. Transportation is a central need to the modern living and so is electricity. However, eating meat is not. More and more researches are now confirming that meat diet are in fact more harmful than beneficial to our body. So it should bot be a difficult choice to make.
This article reminds me of something Rinpoche brought up the other day related to vegetarianism. Rinpoche said that nowadays, people don’t want to hear doom and gloom stories about why we should go vegetarian and save Planet Earth. They don’t want to hear that the icecaps are melting, the world is sinking, we should polluting our oceans, reduce our dependency on fossil fuels. They don’t care that some faraway civilisation is losing their livelihood thanks to the ocean levels rising and encroaching on their lands. Such a story is too far removed from their lives, and those doomsday messages don’t work nowadays.
What DOES work is telling people how the destruction of Planet Earth will affect them personally. What does work is telling people not to pollute our waterways because those feed into the ocean, affecting sea life and marine animals. What does work is telling people that if they eat this affected seafood, they’ll be ingesting high levels of mercury which will build up in their bodies, slowly poisoning them.
So articles like these are very important, and also very useful because they tell the reader how vegetarianism will benefit them directly. Sad to say, many people don’t care about animal suffering. They find it tough to identify with the pain of another being, and much easier to identify with the damage they do to themselves if they continue to engage in such destructive dietary choices.
These are just more points that support that being a vegetarian is a better lifestyle and a good choice. You save lives, other lives and yours. It is much healthier if you eat right, but you should always eat right anyways. Your body can benefit so much from it so why aren’t more people vegetarian.
The main reason why I am a vegetarian is to save animals, to do my part to help those in need. Most people say that one less in a thousand or millions is no difference. But what they are failing to see is that every little part counts and we must all work to together to save those that cannot defend themselves.
So what more is there to say, the facts are there, being a vegetarian is better. You can help other lives and help your own. Tell your friends about these things. Try to spread the awareness so we can all do our little part in saving ourselves and the other poor animals being killed in the meat industry out there.
All the seven things are good but no.7 is the most compelling. The current methods of animal farming and fishing are destroying the planet. People must realise that when they stop eating meat, they not only become more healthy and live longer, they also help to save the planet.
在还未加入克切拉之前，我雖然不是茹素，但也是少肉多菜。一方面是为了个人健康，另一方面也是常看到猪瘟，疯牛症，禽流感这一類的病症，让我心生恐懼，不全是因为慈悲。当然看到因为病症而大量撲殺这些动物时，心里確是感到很悲痛，覺的人類真是造业。在成为克切拉人之後，那年上师生日，有持素戒的机会，我就持終生了。雖然是肉边素，一方面也是为了方便家人。但如有的选擇，我还是选擇净素，吃了也快一年半了，我{覺的很好，人也健康。並非一定要吃肉才能健康成長，大部份的人不吃素，是为了满足口.慾。科学家也曾说过，人類的牙齒構造並非吃肉的。祈愿还未吃素的人，看看现今世界多災难，也一起持素吧！谛造一个祥和的世界与社会。
There are a lot of athletes and celebrities who are either vegetarians or vegans, people say that meat provides us the proteins our body needs but ironically it does not only provide us proteins but at the same time, it also heighten the risk of us having cancer and others illnesses. I personally do not find it worthy to risk our own health to satisfy our taste buds.
I have been a vegetarian for a few years now and I must say that the difference it makes is huge, it may never seem like it until you have experienced it for yourselves. After becoming a vegetarian, I find my body become lighter in a sense that I don’t fall sick so often anymore and you just feel good in general.