In the early s there were around three billion of us, and today there are more than 7. While population is part of the story, it doesn't entirely account for why meat production increased five-fold.
Around the world, people have become richer, with the global average income more than tripling in half a century. When we compare consumption across different countries we see that, typically, the richer we are the more meat we eat. There are not just more people in the world - there are more people who can afford to eat meat.
We see a clear link with wealth when looking at patterns of meat consumption across the world. In , the most recent year available, the US and Australia topped the tables for annual meat consumption.
Alongside New Zealand and Argentina, both countries topped more than kg per person, the equivalent to about 50 chickens or half a cow each. In fact, high levels of meat consumption can be seen across the West, with most countries in Western Europe consuming between 80 and 90 kilograms of meat per person. At the other end of the spectrum, many of the world's poorest countries eat very little meat.
The average Ethiopian consumes just 7kg, Rwandans 8kg and Nigerians 9kg. This is 10 times less than the average European.
For those in low-income countries, meat is still very much a luxury. These figures represent the amount of meat per head available for consumption, but do not account for any food wasted at home or on the shop floor. In reality, people eat slightly less meat than this, but it's still a close estimate. It is clear that the richest countries eat a lot of meat, and those on low incomes eat little.
This has been the case for 50 years or more. So why are we collectively eating so much more meat? This trend has been largely driven from a growing band of middle-income countries. Journal of the American College of Nutrition, Here are 12 good reasons meat and poultry should be part of your balanced diet. Naturally and completely. Animal proteins are complete proteins. Meat, fish and poultry contains heme iron, which helps to prevent anemia because the body absorbs this iron better than non-heme iron found in plant foods such as vegetables.
That commentary pointed out the problem of determining reliable findings when data are equivocal and called for internationally agreed-upon methodology for assessing carcinogens. The conclusion is that there is not good evidence that red- or processed-meat consumption is linked to cancer, but that does not mean eating any amount of meat is compatible with good health. Like any food or nutrient, excess consumption is likely associated with adverse health effects. There are many researchable questions that remain.
We do not have valid and reliable data from multiple samples on the chemical changes in charred or smoked meats nor do we know if the amounts of potential carcinogens in such products have an effect in humans. We do know that exposing rodents to 1, to , times the amounts of isolated chemical carcinogens estimated to be in cooked meat leads to cancer, but we have no idea if exposure to much lower levels has any adverse effect.
In fact, the concept of hormesis hypothesizes that exposure to low levels of compounds that are harmful at high doses actually leads to a beneficial health effect. In addition, most toxicologists recognize the safety of exposure to small amounts of compounds that are harmful in much greater concentrations even if they do not have a beneficial physiological effect.
A similar relation exists for essential nutrients that are needed in small amounts but are toxic in high doses, such as vitamin A or iron; even drinking too much water can lead to fatal consequences. People who eat the most meat are also likely to eat the fewest fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and dietary fiber. Those foods and nutrients are able to modify the gastrointestinal microbiota, the commensal bacteria that plays in increasingly recognized role in human metabolism and maintenance of health, but were not considered by the IARC working group.
Recent studies implicate specific strains of bacteria in the development of colon cancer but we are far from conclusive evidence Dejea et al.
The biggest unresolved question is whether the highest consumption of meat is simply a marker for a set of lifestyle characteristics that increase risk of cancer. These issues are researchable questions that would take a very large group of people who answer questionnaires accurately and would take many years, which translates into a very expensive study.
So we are not likely to have a resolution to this conundrum in the foreseeable future unless there is a revolution in our understanding of the causes of colon cancer and our ability to monitor diet and health habits more accurately.
In fact, it may not even be worth studying potential risks from single foods and chronic diseases because it diverts attention and resources from focus on the entire diet and associated lifestyle choices that clearly affect long-term health. Coming to a correct conclusion on diet and health does not require absolute proof, but taking a relationship built on weak associations as proof is not helpful to the public or the profession.
Science is not possession of the truth but is the systematic, reproducible pursuit of the answers, and we should depend on reliable science for dietary recommendations. Department of Agriculture. His research has focused on the relationship of diet and prevention of chronic diseases such as cancer, heart disease, and gallstones.
Among his scientific discoveries are the first demonstration that red-wine consumption resulted in fewer cardiovascular lesions, that the cholesterol-filled cells in human arterial lesions are white blood cells, that reducing calories was more important than reducing fat in the diet for decreasing cancer growth, and a mediator of this last effect was likely insulin-like growth factor Alexander , D.
Weed , P. Miller , and M. Red meat and colorectal cancer: a quantitative update on the state of the epidemiologic science. Google Scholar. When is a carcinogen not a carcinogen? Lancet Oncol. Appleby , P. Crowe , K. Bradbury , R. Travis , and T. Mortality in vegetarians and comparable nonvegetarians in the United Kingdom. Austin , P. Mamdani , D. Juurlink , and J.
Testing multiple statistical hypotheses resulted in spurious associations: a study of astrological signs and health. Beresford , S. Johnson , C. Ritenbaugh , N. Lasser , L. Snetselaar , H. Black , G. Anderson , A. Assaf , T. Bassford , D. Bowen , et al. Boada , L. The impact of red and processed meat consumption on cancer and other health outcomes: epidemiological evidences.
Food Chem. Bouvard , V. Loomis , K. Guyton , Y. Grosse , F. Ghissassi , L. Benbrahim-Tallaa , N. Guha , H. Mattock , and K. Carcinogenicity of consumption of red and processed meat. Dejea , C. Fathi , J. Craig , A. Boleij , R. Taddese , A. Women who have been through the menopause, and older men, should avoid having more than 1. This is because older people are at a higher risk of bone fracture.
This means not eating liver and liver products more than once a week, or having smaller portions. It also means not taking any supplements containing vitamin A, including fish liver oil, if they do eat liver once a week. Pregnant women should avoid liver and liver products and vitamin A supplements. Meat can generally be part of a pregnant woman's diet. However, pregnant women should avoid:. Read more about foods to avoid in pregnancy.
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