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MEAT OR NOT

[Adapted from Which? Magazine October 1991]

Cutting down on the amount of meat you eat?

A survey in 1989 found that almost half the population were cutting back on red meat and, to a lesser extent, poultry. Most adults said they were cutting back for health reasons. But cutting the amount of meat you eat may not be healthier.

Meat isn't unhealthy in itself. Apart from protein, it gives you minerals such as iron and most B vitamins in a very easily sbsorbable form. The health problem with meat is the fat that comes with it.

Most fat in meat is clearly visible, although there is also a small amount of invisible fat inside the meat tissue itself. A lean piece of meat - one that is free of visible fat - can have a fat content as low as low as 4 %. So cutting off any visible fat, and avoiding the fatty skin on chicken, can help reduce your fat intake without having to eat less meat.

Some meats and meat products are fattier than others: salami, for instance, is around 45% fat, compared with around 5% fat in ham. So cutting back on meat is only healthier if the meats you continue to eat is lean. It also depends on what other foods you eat instead of meat.

An obvious alternative is fish. Oily fish such as mackerel and sardines are high in fat, but are also rich in omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids, which can be beneficial by helping prevent blood clots associated with heart disease. White fish is low in fat but deep frying in batter can raise its fat content tenfold.

FAT and HEALTH

The link between the risk of coronary heart disease and high levels of saturated fat in the diet is now well established. Evidence of a link between cancer and diets high in fat and low in fruit and vegetables is also growing. Health advise is to eat less fat in total, but the most important fat to eat less of are those that are rich in saturated fatty acids. High intakes of these saturated fats encourage high blood cholesterol levels.

Fat is made up of three kinds of fatty acids: saturated, mono-unsaturated and polyunsaturated. All oils and fats contain a mixture of the three different types, although some have more of one kind than another does.

Animal fat such as most meat fat (poultry and pork fat varies according to the animal's diet), butter and cheese all contain a lot of saturated fatty acids. So it's no use just switching from meat to cheese and egg-based dishes: they can be higher in fat than meat.

Other alternatives to meat besides simply eating more vegetables include choosing foods such as beans and other pulses, tofu, and meat replacements such as textured vegetable protein used in soya mince and many vegetable burgers, and Quorn.

GOING VEGETARIAN?

For young people, it is often concern for animal welfare that makes them cut out or cut down on meat. According to the Vegetarian Society, the number of adults and children who avoid red meat completely or are vegetarian is around one out of six; among young people, the figure is around one in five.

Contrary to popular belief, lack of protein is not usually a problem for vegetarians. They can easily get all the protein they need from the plant-based foods they eat. But 'vegans' - who eat no animal products at all need to eat protein from a range of different types of plant sources, from cereals, pulses and fruit and vegetables, for example to ensure that they get a balanced protein intake.

There is some evidence that 'new vegetarians' - people who are simply eating their usual diet but omit the meat may develop deficiencies in iron vitamin B12 and zinc in the long term. But well-balanced vegetarian diets can easily meet current nutritional guidelines; studies have even noted lower rates of coronary heart disease and some other chronic diseases among people who are eating vegetarian diets.