Meat

The trend in carnivore diets is increasing. Some people seem to be eating steak for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Meat can be a source of nutrients and protein; it is very filling and low on carbohydrates. But not all is sunshine and rainbows — meat consumption can be detrimental to health.

The hidden risks of meat

Certain meats are a source of parasites and dangerous bacteria, such as pork and beef, respectively. In rare cases, no microbial agent is needed at all — the structure of the protein itself is infectious, as with prions, misfolded proteins which cause neurodegenerative diseases. This is why it's important that raw meat be stored at the bottom of the fridge and cooked to high temperatures — chicken, for example, should be cooked to a temperature above 75°C (temperatures vary for each meat).

Meat also contains other harmful molecules such as hormones, waste products, and toxins from the animal, which become concentrated as you move up the food chain — a process called bioaccumulation. This depends on what the animal itself eats; scavenger animals, which consume waste in the environment, tend to carry more of these harmful products. Fat-soluble toxins accumulate in the fatty parts of the animal and are detoxified by the liver, making them much harder to clear than water-soluble toxins.

"And God said unto them... Every moving thing that liveth shall be meat for you; even as the green herb have I given you all things."

Genesis 9:1-3

It was only after the flood (Genesis 9), when there were no plants, that God allowed meat consumption. But under these circumstances, He gave strict regulations on what animals could be eaten. All mammals must be herbivores and have cloven hooves; fish must have fins and scales; birds cannot be scavengers or birds of prey (Leviticus 11).

Therefore, in the guidance given by God, you can see the wisdom in only allowing certain animals to be eaten. With a plant-based diet you can get all that you need without anything more