Is Fake Meat More Unhealthy Than Real Meat?
Why does fake meat attract vegetarians when they claim meat is gross and immoral?
Is Fake Meat Less Healthy Than Real Meat?
This is not a judgmental thing, on my part. In fact, I know that there are valid reasons to not eat meat, these days, which we talked about in this article. And my personal meat intake has decreased greatly, since learning some of these things.
But is it healthy to eat no meat at all? And why is it that some vegetarians want to include fake meat in their diet? Isn’t fake meat less healthy than real meat?
Vegetarian / Vegan Food vs. Meat – The Great Debate
Why is it that a vegan or a vegetarian would have a need to come up with substitutes for real meat, if there wasn’t something good about it?
Well, having tried to live on smoothies, eggs, tuna and peanuts for the last year (as much an experiment as the fear of prion poisoning), I have noticed that my body doesn’t seem to miss meat that much, to my discernment, though I do still eat meat now and then…
There are many solid reasons for the still-widespread advocation for eating meat.
What Is Unhealthy About Eating Meat?
This is not going to be an ethical debate, and the reason for that are not intended to diminish the ethical stance people have for not eating meat, which I do understand and relate to. But I must say I have never felt a spiritual connection with a chicken (like I did with my cat, who was snatched from my 4th story balcony by a large, predatory bird, I can only deduce), which is why I will still eat it, periodically, for a nutritional top-up, maybe once a week.
And I suspect it was an eagle. And I will eat a dead eagle now, especially if I suspect it was but a mere conspirator to the one who snatched Tina.
Enough About Tina
You can get the crucial protein, iron, fats and other important things that meat provides through other foods and supplementations, but dig this:
It is the types of meat we eat that matters. We should not be eating grain-fed beef or processed meat. These are typically pumped full of nitrates, hormones, pesticides, sugar, antibiotics, and toxic preservatives that will surely contribute to the likelihood of our developing disease. We should opt for grass-fed, organic, whole cuts of meat like steaks and roasts, legs, thighs, breasts, or ground meats (which you might be able to find without red dye injected).
What Foods Contain Red Dye 40? | Red Dye and Autism, ADHD
The meat from grass-fed cattle has a greater amount of fat and an unhealthy balance of omega-3 to omega-6 fat.
Is Fake Meat More Unhealthy Than Real Meat?
Is fake meat unhealthy, more so than real meat carved off of an animal?
We should first establish what fake meat is.
Meat alternatives are usually plant-based (absurdly enough), and derived from tofu, tempeh, and / or seitan. The ingredients most commonly include soy protein and wheat protein, and some other unhealthy things are typically added for flavor.
“Flavor Solutions” are added to foods with no flavor, due to manufacturer processes which are cost effective for the producers, at the expense of flavor and nutrition.
Overall, the long-term health effects of “fake meat” remain to be seen, being that artificial meat is still a fairly new thing. But some things are clear. And as a general rule (according to history, and if you’re into facts, and/or common sense, especially if you’re into facts), any food that is synthesized is going to have very little in it that is good.
Soy Is Unhealthy
Despite being a pretty good source of tiddled-with protein and a few other retarded nutrients, soy is not very healthy. In fact, the negative seems to outweigh the positive, especially the more processed it is, as with anything.
The key reasons the bad outweighs the good with soy are mainly that it is typically very genetically modified, and contains a high content of isoflavones, which mimic estrogen, and have been found to bind to estrogen receptors in the body, and prevent their production.
Soy is also a lot like gluten, having a very similar molecular structure. Like gluten, it can and will cause chronic inflammation.
If you feed your baby soy-based formula, STOP!!
Baby Formula: The Key Health Risks to Baby that Every Mother & Someday-Mother-to-Be Need to Know
Eating More Soy Does Not Reduce the Risk of Heart Disease
Eating plant-based foods might make a person feel a measure of nobility, because they feel they are doing the right thing by their body. But if I have learned anything since even before starting Un-Pharma.com, it is that anything that is commonly believed is the very thing that needs to be examined more deeply. And the majority of the time the opposite proves to be true. Try me on this.
In 2006 the American Heart Association recommended eating more soy to improve cardiovascular health. They ended up reversing this statement 2 years later. and even the FDA announced in 2017 that it was reversing its similar claim.
The soy industry would certainly want us eating more soy, and would surely exuberantly promote it as having health “benefits”. Soy is big money in North America, and in the US, at least 82 per cent of it has been genetically modified.
Why do they genetically modify food? Because it is far cheaper to produce!
Why Has Soy Been Made Out to Be a Hero and Fat and Cholesterol Villains?
Everyone is aware of the demonization of fat and “bad” cholesterol (no such thing!) over the last several decades. This is largely because they need scapegoats to protect and promote sugar (particularly high-fructose corn syrup) and other things that are cheaply produced, like soy.
Should High Fructose Corn Syrup Be Banned?
Why Do Things That Are Bad for My Health Taste So Good? | Why Is Food So Bland?
Again, soy contains compounds called isoflavones, which mimic estrogen. These phytoestrogens can promote the growth of cancer cells,
causing breast cancer and the impairment of female fertility. They also kill testosterone, and can even cause your thyroid to malfunction.
Soy also has a lot of artificial flavoring in it, which is never good. But GMO soy (which 82 per cent of soy is) also has more pesticide contamination than nearly any other grown food there is, and contains a high content of aluminum, as a result of the way in which it is processed.
Alex Fergus says this in an article, which goes into much more detail about the facts and dangers of soy:
By the way, they sneak soy into just about everything.
So Why Does Fake Meat Appeal to Vegetarians?
Why does fake meat attract vegetarians and vegans, if real meat is bad for us? (Keeping in mind that some people simply can’t eat meat because their bodies respond negatively to it), it could simply be that it is hard to feel full eating fruits and vegetables and legumes.
If a person thinks he/she is saving the planet by not eating meat, he/she should consider that the manufacturing of synthetic meat still uses water and carbon energy, and has an impact on the environment (not that the planet is in any danger from anything we arrogantly think we can do to it).
If we really want to feel good about ourselves by eating peas, beans and lentils to save the “environment”, why not just eat peas, beans and lentils, and not try to make a burger-like thing that uses those things, (plus ads a bunch of poison) and do a service to ourselves while we’re at it, and not put all the poisons in our bodies that are also in these food-like products to make them saleable?
If it is for “humanitarian” reasons that we won’t eat meat, that is where it gets tough. I love these people, when they are genuine. I wish I was more like them. I would never eat my dog. So something in my heart has not crossed over yet. It is just something that never occurred to me, and now it won’t cross over, even when I want it to!
You see? We all become conditioned, in one way or another. In some area where I feel mentally superior and think someone else is a moron, I’m just as bad in another area.
I’m glad we’re having this talk.
Carbon Footprint Nonsense
I won’t go into it here, but let’s just suspend reality for a minute and assume that carbon dioxide is actually bad for the planet, as they have so many people believing (when in fact carbon is the basis for all life and crucial to our survival, and the planet is actually getting cooler…). Let’s just pretend that cow flatulence is actually bad, for the duration of this short video, lest it seem irrelevant to the topic at hand.
Just let me preface this by saying…
Cows Fart from Their Mouths
“Natural Flavor” In Synthetic Meat
Look at the ingredients in fake meat. There is very little in it that is nutritional. But note the “natural flavor” in the fake meat ingredients list and ponder that, for a second. Until I read the following article, I hadn’t thought too heavily about this.
If you are anything like me, you will find this video very informative, thought-provoking, and both very sad and hilarious, at the same time.
The Unintended Consequences of Fake Meat
To Wrap It Up
So, is fake meat more or less healthy than real meat? Why does fake meat attract vegetarians when they claim meat is gross and immoral and even irresponsible?
I must reiterate that I have no disrespect for anyone who doesn’t eat meat, and there always seems to be a rule. And in matters like this, there should be. I miss the days when there were any rules at all, that weren’t preposterous. And I in fact eat very little meat myself, anymore. And your reasons are noble, even if you are one who has given up eating meat because you think it is saving the planet. I hope that this article (or more likely one that is linked to, herein) will enlighten you and you can go back to enjoying some meat again!
These days real meat from the grocery store is hardly worth paying all that money for. But generally speaking, synthetic meat is far worse for your health than real meat, as I hope this article shows.
Under no circumstances eat yak.
Why is it that some vegetarians want to include fake meat in their diet?
You make some good points, which I would not argue with, Anusuya. Food is never going to be as good as it once was, unfortunately.
Healthline says a lot of things that are simply not true, I have found.
Thanks for the great response!
I’m glad the article was useful to you, William.
I had always assumed soy must be healthy, as well. But, like you, I fortunately didn’t like the taste of it. 🙂
Thanks for your comments!
Yes, exactly, Dana. As long as the meat alternatives aren’t full of soy and other unhealthy things.
Thanks for your input.
I thoroughly enjoyed this awesome article. As a pharmaceutical process chemist, I really appreciate your research and passionate enthusiasm to help people with their decision through your post.
I have a lot of interest in soy protein. The last I read about it is a Healthline website blog post where the evidence from science saying says isoflavone is okay for health. But I am not sure which year was it published. I still have doubts about Soy to have it in the diet. My relative had breast cancer and was advised not to eat soybean chunks and related products.
I can not discriminate that much between GMO, and non-GMO. Everything for me is somehow modified over time. I may be wrong. When it rains the polluted atmosphere with perfluoro alkylated compounds is treating the planet. When pesticides are spread using drones would they fly and pollute the nearby area? Please correct me if I am wrong.
I love the video you are sharing. I was enjoying it and partly I felt sad. It is a hard topic and every part of the world is different regarding contributing to climate change.
Fake meat tastes better because of flavor and added stuff which may not be healthy.
The pure vegetarian meal can taste even better if cooked with healthy herbs and healthy spices. I have tried both. Meat carries specific health benefits which may be lacking in vegetarian meals. People use supplements to meet the nutrition panel as pure vegetarians.
Wow, very informative article. I do consider myself as one who strives to eat healthy, although it is difficult with what we find in most local supermarkets. Is Fake Meat Less Healthy Than Real Meat ? Great title, and a very good question, one that I think you have answered very well here.
I learned a great deal from this post. I was one of those sold on the idea that soy products were a great protein source and one that was good for us. I was certainly mistaken. Good thing I never liked to eat, or drink it. Just didn’t like it.
I do enjoy meat for sure, and probably consume more of it than I should as I do try to take in enough protein daily.
Yes, I agree, sugar is a real killer. We can find it in so many products that we would not expect.
You have got me thinking and re-evaluating some of my eating habits, and for that I also say, thank you.
I personally think that many people are waking up to the power of healthy living. Scientific evidence backs up what doctors have been saying for years about healthy diets, exercise, good stress management techniques, and so on.
Many people want to live healthier lifestyles and so for some people that choose is being vegetarian. Some animal activist do not want to eat meat because of a long list of reasons.
Naturally such people would be interested in meat alternatives or fake meat as you put it. In their minds they could enjoy meat without hurting any animals all the while doing something good for their bodies and the environment, or so they think.