by Bob McCauley, CNC, MH
The reason that eating animal protein is one of the worst things for our health is simple. Let’s first establish that everyone always cooks their animal protein. Rarely does anyone eat raw meat, fish, eggs or dairy, although there is a strong movement to consume raw dairy, in particular raw goat’s milk. I am not against eating raw animal protein, but it certainly is not necessary for us to consume it if we wish to be healthy. Eating raw animal protein is known as Paleo Diet.
The problem with animal protein is that it is a pre-formed protein chain of amino acids that are then brought to high temperatures during the cooking process. The higher the temperature and the longer the animal protein is cooked at these temperatures, the more harmful the animal protein becomes to our health. Although it is not desirable, exposing plant proteins (unstructured amino acids) to high temperatures does not have the same deleterious effects on our health. A Harvard study showed that the consumption of red meat has been linked to the increased risk of Type II diabetes.[1]
“Regular consumption of red meat, especially processed, is associated with an increased risk for type 2 diabetes. The findings are important given the rising epidemic of diabetes and the increasing consumption of red meat.” – Frank B. Hu, MD, PhD
I always suspected this about protein structures and it was confirmed to me in a book called Heal With Amino Acids and Nutrients.[2]
I was reading the book in my studies to become a Certified Nutritional Consultant, and there it was in black and white, exactly what I had always suspected and that is that cooked, pre-formed protein structures become chemically scrambled and many of the peptide bonds that link the amino acids together are completely destroyed. This turns the protein structure into mush, unrecognizable and therefore unusable by the body. The more it is cooked, the more dangerous it becomes. Cooking animal protein at extremely high temperature also creates plastic-like substances (polymers) call acrylamides, which of course are toxic, extremely unhealthy and therefore do not belong in the body.
The same problem would not occur if plant protein is cooked, although I certainly would not recommend it if it can be avoided. If you want to consume meat, fish, eggs or dairy, do so with the realization that you are consuming them strictly for the taste of it, not for the nutrition. A smaller handful of Spirulina and/or Chlorella will provide your body with all the nutrition it needs.
Nothing causes more disease than eating cooked animal protein other than people don’t keep themselves properly hydrated, meaning they simply do not drink enough water, and/or they don’t drink the right kind of water. The right water is ionized water, spring water, mineral water or well-filtered tap water. Distilled and reverse osmosis is NOT the right kind of water we should consume.
My effort, as always, is to educate people about health, and not to suggest that we make people stop eating animal protein. I don’t care what people eat – it’s none of my business. However I do offer some advice to those who want to listen, and that is to limit, if not entirely eliminate, animal protein of all kinds from your diet if your desire is to be healthy. If you replace animal with algae, Spirulina and Chlorella, you will do an about face and quickly start moving closer to that goal.
[1] American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. August 2011
[2] Heal With Amino Acids and Nutrients by Billie Jay Sahley and Katherine M. Birkne. Pain & Stress Publications (December 2001). ISBN: 978-1889391205 .
Enterotyping suggests there are 3 gut types:
– vegan
– meat-eaters
– mixed
Though that doesn’t seem to get anyone anywhere, it means that one of the 3 is opportune to your bacterial tendencies. Blood type theory also suggests that certain people [with blood type 0 and B] do better eating meat.
It also means that if your gut flora is meat-oriented, you might do as well as Aajonus Vonderplanitz on the paleo diet. But, indeed, then we’re talking uncooked meat.
The problem, again, is caused by mainstream assumptions. Any serious amount of research should show that meat-eating, if one were to go that route, should mean:
– organ meat, exclusively or mainly
– raw
– liver cooked [i.e. not raw]
Weston Price’s research suggests that dental health, as well, is greatly supported by eating organ meat and stock, what mainstream feeds to their DOGS…
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