I know this flies in the face of the popular Paleo diet. To be fair, I do think the Paleo movement has brought to our attention the importance of knowing, what we eat ‘eats’.
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In other words what are our animals eating because we will eventually end up eating it! This is why ‘grass-fed’ red meat has become popular.
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1. Do You Know About Meat’s Cancer Connection?
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The World Health Organisation (WHO) has classified bacon & processed meat/hot dogs/salami/sausages/cold cuts/deli meat as a Group 1 carcinogen same as cigarettes and asbestos. This means there is strong evidence that processed meat causes cancer.
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Red meat, such as beef, lamb and pork, has been classified as a Group 2A carcinogen by WHO, which means it probably causes cancer.
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2. L-Carnitine A Friend Or Foe?
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L-carnitine is an amino acid, one of the building blocks that make protein. New research has shown that our gut bacteria turn the carnitine into TMA, which is then turned into TMAO in the liver. All meat contains L-carnitine, with red meat having the highest levels. Fortunately our gut bacteria do NOT turn the L-carnitine found in plant proteins into TMA.
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High levels of TMAO in the blood have been shown to increase the risk of major adverse cardiovascular events. TMAO also activates our inflammatory pathway, something we all want to avoid.
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You can read about it here https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5127123/
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3. How Many POPs Are You Eating?
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Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs) are chemicals found in pesticides, herbicides, building materials, and industrial processes which result in pollutants such as PCBs, DDT, dioxins and PBDEs (flame retardants).
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POPs make their way into your body via breathing, personal care & household products, and contaminated water. However the major source for most people is animal foods – meat, poultry, fish and dairy products.
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POPs are first and foremost highly toxic and even at low levels can increase cancer risk. They are endocrine disruptors, meaning they mess with your hormones and they also damage your good gut bacteria.
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So is organic, grass-fed red meat any better?
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Yes, but only slightly.
It’s still a group 2A carcinogen.It will still contain L-carnitine.It may have slightly lower levels of POPs.It will have a better ratio of omega-3 to omega-6 due to the cows eating grass and less grains..
The people living in the Blue Zones, are the healthiest, happiest and longest living cultures alive today. They eat some animal protein from good sources. But they are healthy human beings living in clean environments and the rest of their diet is full of seasonal fruits & vegetables, whole grains and legumes. You can read about them here https://www.bluezones.com/
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If you are looking to avoid another diagnosis, I would suggest eating minimal red meat.
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Have you heard of ‘Women Thriving After Cancer’? A supportive group of women who have triumphed the cancer journey and are now encouraging each other to optimise their health so they can live a long & healthy life.
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Join this free group here: