User:Gun Peterson/sandbox

The All-Meat Diet

Meats such as beef, pork, chicken, etc.

The "All-Meat" or "Carnivore Diet" consist of a person only consuming animals and meat. In the same way that vegetarian only eats vegetables, or a dairy-free diet omits dairy products from consumption, all-meat diets consist of only meat with slight exception. The all-meat diet is most similar to the Ketogenic diet because they both use a high-fat, low-carb diet. This diet is derived from the belief that the majority of what human ancestors consumed consisted of meat and fish. It is thought that over 70% of our direct ancestors received more than half of their calories from meat and fish. In recent years, there has been an increase in notable people, such as Joe Rogan, who have experimented with an all-meat diet. It is estimated that along with Rogan, over 2 billion people employ primarily an meat-based diet, worldwide. This has brought a lot of attention to the possible positive and negative side effects of the diet on a person's body and mind and the environment.

Consumption

What you can eat

The diet consists of the consumption of meat and fish. Meats such as beef, chicken, pork, lamb, deer, organs meats, turkey etc. can be eaten. Fish such as shrimp, crab, lobster, salmon, tuna, herring etc. can be consumed as well. Some variations of the diet allow for the consumption of all dairy products, due to them not being plant based and coming from the animal itself. However, more extreme versions of the diet do not allow any dairy to be consumed at all. This means that dairy should be consumed at the users discretion. The diet encourages drinking water and bone broth. The only seasonings that should be used when cooking the meals are salt, pepper, or seasonings with no carbs. Meat snacks like jerky are supported as well.

What you cannot eat

No fruits or vegetables are allowed to be consumed. Beans, grains, seeds, legumes are all discouraged as well. This includes tea, coffee, juices and all alcoholic beverages. There should not be any other forms of seasoning used when cooking other than mainly salt and pepper. There also should be no sauces or condiments used. It should be noted that processed meats want to be avoided as much as possible. They may contain additives that are not desirable for this diet. The same goes for aged meats, which are very high in histamines. Basically, if it is not meat or does not come from an animal, it does not fit this diet

Health Effects

Positive - Health

The carnivore may lead to weight loss in those who follow it. The increased amount of protein and decreased amount of carbohydrates are a main cause of this weight loss. Protein has the ability to increase your metabolic rate, while simultaneously making a person feel more full after eating it. There has also been cases in which the diet has helped autoimmune conditions A participant of the all-meat diet can potentially increase their heart health, due to the saturated fats (which are in meat products) and an improved heart health.

There are increased benefits for men who utilize the all-meat diet over women who utilize it. This is because the all-meat diet increases the amount of testosterone and lowers the amount of estrogen in the body. This ultimately can increase muscle gain and weight loss.

Negative - Health

When someone is utilizing the all-meat diet, they are essentially only consuming one type of food group and cutting out the rest. This, even if one is solely consuming vegetables, can lead to a lack of nutrients that are given by other food groups. In the case of the all-meat diet, the consumer will be missing out on Vitamin C and Vitamin E, which are abundant in plants. There is also a lack of fiber in the diet, which can lead to colonic health problems. High intake of red meat and processed meat are correlated with significant increased risk of colorectal, colon and rectal cancers.

The diet is also very high in fat, cholesterol, and sodium. The higher amount of sodium are usually seen in processed meats such as bacon and breakfast sausage. These high sodium levels can lead to an increase in blood pressure and kidney disease.

Meat Effects on the Brain

Before humans evolved into Homo sapiens, it was thought that their main source of food came from consuming meat. Some scientist correlate the evolution of our ancestors' increased brain size and meat about two million years ago. The low quality plant diets were replaced with a higher quality of calorie-dense meat and marrow. This increased amount of calories and nutrients is said to have fueled a bigger brain.

The brain's complexity makes it difficult to understand completely. Studies have been done that have shown that an increase in meat consumption will increase a person's vitamin D*, vitamin B12, omega-3 fats, heme-iron, and conjugated linoleic acid (CLA). These vitamins and minerals all play a role in the functions of the brain. An increase in these, which can be accomplished by an increase in meat consumption, can decrease the risk of mental health problems such as fatigue, poor concentration, decreased brain volume with aging and irreversible nerve damage.

Pig Factory Farm

Meat Environmental Impact

Consuming meat is very effective on the environment. Therefore, an increased consumption due to the all-meat diet will only increase these effect to a greater extent. In order to raise animals, crops, water, and soil are lost in order to accommodate for the land for the animals. The U.S. uses about 87% of its agricultural land to raise animals for food. In order to do this, forest were destroyed in order to generate cropland to feed the animals being raised. The leads to the meat industry being directly responsible for over 85% of soil erosion in the U.S.

When talking about factory-farming, trees are cut down to build the factories and the waste produced by the factories are not always disposed of properly. Animals such as cattle, sheep, and goats emit methane* during digestion, which is a "greenhouse gas" which strongly contributes to global warming. According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), pig and cow factories have significantly caused an increase of methane emissions. These factories ave the potential to generate more raw waste than a small city and have become the greatest source of water pollution in the U.S.