Hong Kong has one of the highest meat consumption per capita in the world at 664g per day, equivalent to two pieces of 10-oz steak. People in Hong Kong especially enjoy pork and beef, consuming four times the UK’s average daily consumption amount. Most people don’t realize the negative environmental and health implications of conventional protein. Not eating meat one day a week can be amazing for not only for your own health but also the planet’s!
The World Health Organization has classified processed meat as carcinogenic (group 1) and red meat as probably carcinogenic to humans (group 2A). It even estimates that consuming 50g of processed meat (less than 2 pieces of bacon) increases the chance of developing colorectal cancer by 18%.
The use of antibiotics in farm animals as growth promoters and to prevent and treat animal diseases has become commonplace, causing the emergence of antibiotic-resistant bacteria. This antibiotic resistance can be transmitted to humans through animal food consumption and is now a major public health problem, causing illnesses to be difficult to treat, and resulting in increased higher health risks and health care costs.
In the 2015 – 2020 Dietary Guidelines for Americans, vegetarian diets are recommended as one of the three healthy dietary patterns.
The American Institute for Cancer Research encourages a plant-based diet, suggesting Americans receive two-thirds of their dietary intake from vegetables, fruits, whole grains, and beans.
Vegetarians and vegans are at a reduced risk of certain health conditions, including ischemic heart disease, type 2 diabetes, hypertension, certain types of cancer, and obesity.
Lower percentage of overweight or obesity
15 Sep, 2019 Green Monday Editor
Lower percentage of overweight or obesity
Decreased risk for developing CVD
15 Sep, 2019 Green Monday Editor
13% and 19% decreased risk for developing CVD & ischemic heart disease
Reduction in risk of colorectal cancer
15 Sep, 2019 Green Monday Editor
18% lower overall cancer incidence and 25% reduction in risk of colorectal cancer
References:
1. What the World Eat by National Geographic, https://www.nationalgeographic.com/what-the-world-eats
2. Research by the University of Hong Kong, https://www.hku.hk/press/news_detail_17940.html
3. Position of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics: Vegetarian Diets, https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/27886704
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