If you are a meat lover then you must be well acquainted with several mouth watering dishes! But have you taken care to find out whether a type of meat is associated with any harmful effect? It remains as a fact that you cannot think of a party or a social get-together without non-vegetarian items! But you should be able to make healthy meat choices so as to protect yourselves from the harmful effects of unhealthy meats. These are the five meats which are rated as the most unhealthy of all meats:
- Fried Catfish: Catfish are contaminated with toxic chemicals like mercury and lead. These toxins are likely to be consumed by the catfish which feeds on the bottom or almost near the bottom of the water. You can consider catfish as delightful treats during the summer, but at the same time you should note that you might fall sick due to the presence of toxins. The toxins might lead to gastrointestinal problems apart from causing damages to your internal organs. Relishing a catfish dish in the fried form is even more harmful due to the presence of neurotoxins and carcinogens which are formed by cooking under high temperatures. These substances can cause cancer and diabetes.
- Bacon: You should restrict your consumption of bacon to special occasions, just a few times a year. This meat is available in the processed form and contains a carcinogen called sodium nitrite, which acts as a preservative. Additionally, the meat is also high in fat and sodium contents. Normally, high levels of sodium in processed foods help in the preservation process and bacon contains an excessive amount of sodium chloride. It is the fatty part of bacon which is cherished by majority of the eaters. The presence of animal fat and carcinogens make bacon an unhealthy meat option. Regular intake of bacon can cause serious health issues.
- Organ Meats: The most common organ meat you love including in your meals is the liver. Organ meats have high cholesterol content and this is related to the possibility of heart diseases. High flavor organ meats such as tongue, liver, brain and heart are considered as integral parts in certain recipes, but these parts should not be included for regular consumption. Liver is an excretory organ which flushes out toxins from the body. So when you eat liver, you are ingesting toxins as well. People with high cholesterol or heart diseases should keep themselves away from organ meats.
- Hot Dogs: This is yet another form of processed food. Hot Dogs are loaded with high levels of sodium nitrite and Monosodium Glutamate (MSG) which performs the role of an additive and a flavor enhancer. The presence of high levels of sodium nitrite in hot dogs is believed to have carcinogenic effects. Additionally, high levels of carbohydrates, fat and sodium in hot dogs can lead to heart diseases, diabetes and high cholesterol. Hot Dogs might be an easy option to consider for supper or for your child's lunchbox, but you should restrict its consumption, taking into view ill-effects in the long run.
- Regular Ground Beef: This is the most contaminated form of beef. There are greater chances of contamination with bacteria E. Coli. Ground Beef gets contaminated with the bacteria after it comes into contact with fecal matter. There is a possibility that you would carry a low quality ground meat to your home. Often, the meat can be cut from certain parts of the cow where there are greater risks of contamination. Further, high fat and grease contents make ground beef eaters prone to high cholesterol and heart diseases. Buying lean versions can help you out to some degree, but the chances of contamination with bacteria would still exist.
A 10-year study conducted by the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC) found that people who ate red meat every day were a third more likely to develop colon cancer than those who didn't. According to researchers, two compunds (hemoglobin and myoglobin) found in all red meat may react with chemicals in the gut to create cancer-causing agents. Another study conducted on rats by Johns Hopkins Kimmel Cancer Center found that a chemical compound that's created by cooking meats at high temperature promotes prostate cancer. So to minimize the cancer-causing chemicals that form when meats are charred, cook the meat at low temperatures with indirect heat and avoid charring.
It's true that you would love to indulge in meaty delights in every occasion and in your regular meals. But animal protein has been considered as the leading cause of heart diseases and cancer. And most of the meats discussed above are available in the processed form which further increases the health risks. If you cannot deny your taste buds then you can help yourselves out by regulating the amounts and the frequencies of intakes.
Nice article.