7 Things That Happen When You Stop Eating Meat – People go plant-based for a lot of reasons. These include weight loss, feeling more energetic, reducing the risk of heart disease, decreasing the number of pills they take. There are dozens of great reasons! For even more inspiration, check out these other 7 Things That Happen When You Stop Eating Meat.
Things That Happen When You Stop Eating Meat:
You Will Reduce Inflammation in Your Body
If you’re eating meat, cheese, and highly processed foods, chances are you have elevated levels of inflammation in your body. While short term inflammation (such as after an injury) is normal and necessary, inflammation the last for months or years is not. Chronic inflammation has been linked to the development of atherosclerosis, heart attacks, strokes, diabetes, and autoimmune diseases, among other conditions.
In contrast, plant-based diets are naturally anti-inflammatory, because they are higher in fiber, antioxidants, and other phytonutrients, and much lower in inflammatory triggers like saturated fats and endotoxin (toxins released from bacteria commonly found in animal foods). Studies have shown that people who adopt plant-based diets can dramatically lower their level of C-reactive protein (CRP), an indicator of inflammation in the body.
Your Blood Cholesterol Levels Will Plummet
Elevated blood cholesterol is a key risk factor for heart disease and strokes, two of the leading killers in the United States. Saturated fat – primarily found in meat, poultry, cheese, and other animal products – is a major driver of our blood cholesterol levels. Cholesterol in our food also plays a role.
Studies consistently show that when people go plant-based, their blood cholesterol levels drop by up to 35%. In many cases, the decrease is equal to that seen with drug therapy – with many positive side effects! People who require cholesterol-lowering drugs can further slash their cholesterol levels and cardiovascular risk by adopting a plant based diet.
Whole food, plant-based diets reduce blood cholesterol because they tend to be very low in saturated fat and they contain zero cholesterol. Moreover, plant-based diets are high in fiber, which further reduces blood cholesterol levels.
You Will Give Your Microbiome a Makeover
The trillions of microorganisms living in our bodies are collectively called the microbiome. Increasingly, these microorganisms are recognized as crucial to our overall health: not only do they help us digest our food, but they produce critical nutrients, train our immune system, turn genes on and off, keep our gut tissue healthy, and help protect us from cancer. Studies have also shown to play a role in obesity, diabetes, atherosclerosis, autoimmune disease, inflammatory bowel disease, and liver disease.
You Will Change How Your Genes Work
Scientists have made remarkable discovery that environmental and lifestyle factors can turn genes on and off. For example, the antioxidants and other nutrients we eat in the whole plant foods can change gene expression to optimize how our cells repair damaged DNA. Research has also shown that lifestyle changes, including a plant-based diet, can decrease the expression of cancer genes in men with low risk prostate cancer.
We’ve even seen that a plant-based diet, along with other lifestyle changes, can lengthen our telomeres. These are the caps at the end of our chromosomes that help keep our DNA stable. This might mean that our cells and tissues age more slowly, since the shortened telomeres are associated with aging and earlier death.
You Will Dramatically Reduce Your Chances of Getting Type II Diabetes
An estimated 30% of Americans have pre-diabetes – the precursor to type II diabetes. Animal protein, especially red and processed meat, has been shown to increase the risk of type II diabetes. In the Adventist population, omnivores have double the rate of diabetes compared with vegans. Even accounting for differences in body weight.
In fact, in this population, eating meat once a week or more over a 17 year period increased the risk of diabetes that 74%. Similarly, in the Health Professionals Follow-up Study and Nurses Health Study, increasing red meat intake by more than just half serving per day was associated with a 48% increase risk of diabetes over four years.
Why would meat cause type II diabetes?
Several reasons. Animal fat, animal-based (heme) iron, and nitrate preservatives in meat have been found to damage pancreatic cells. It also can worsen inflammation, cause weight gain, and impair the way our insulin functions.
You will dramatically lessen your chances of getting type II diabetes by leaving animal products off of your plate and eating a diet based and In whole plant foods. This is especially true if you eat whole grains, which are highly protective against type II diabetes. You read that right: carbs actually protect you from diabetes. Also, a plant-based diet can improve or even reverse your diabetes if you have already been diagnosed.
You Will Get the Right Amount, and the Right Type, of Protein
The average omnivore in the US gets more than 1.5 times the optimal amount of protein, most of it from animal sources. Contrary to popular perception, this excess protein does not make us stronger or leaner. Excess protein is stored as fat or turned into waste, and animal protein is a major cause of weight gain, heart disease, diabetes, inflammation, and cancer.
On the other hand, the protein found in whole plant foods protects us for many chronic diseases. There is no need to track protein intake or use protein supplements with a plant-based diet; if you are meeting your daily calorie needs, you will get plenty of protein. The longest lived people on earth, those living in the ‘Blue Zones,’ get about 10% of their calories from protein. This is compared with the US average of 15 – 20%.
You Will Make a Huge Impact on the Health of Our Planet and Its Inhabitants
Animal agriculture is extremely destructive on the planet. It is the single largest contributor to greenhouse gas emissions, and is a leading cause of land and water use, deforestation, wildlife destruction, and species extinction. About 2000 gallons of water are needed to produce just 1 pound of beef in the US.
Our oceans are rapidly becoming depleted of fish; by some estimates, oceans may be fishless by 2048. The current food system, based on meat and dairy production, also contributes to world hunger. The majority of crops grown worldwide go toward feeding livestock, not feeding people.
Equally important, animals raised for food are sentient beings who suffer. Whether raised in industrial factory farms or in farms labeled “humane.” Eating a plant based diet helps us lead a more compassionate life. After all, being healthy is not just about the food we eat. It’s also about our consciousness. Our awareness of how our choices affect the planet and all of those with whom we share it.
