Hundreds of scientists blast ‘zealots’ pushing plant-based diets

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To Isabelle Keane

May 1, 2023 | 9:44am

Hundreds of scientists have banded together to argue that meat is essential to a balanced diet, warn against demonizing carnivores, and blow up the impetus to adopt a plant-based diet. bottom.

the expert behind Nine new research papers published in Animal Frontiers With vegetarianism and veganism on the rise worldwide, there are nearly 1,000 signatures on a declaration that seeks to prove the value of red meat.

“Livestock-derived foods provide a range of essential nutrients and other health-promoting compounds, many of which are missing in diets, even among high-income people.” the declaration said.

“People with abundant resources may be able to achieve an adequate diet while significantly limiting meat, dairy, and eggs. However, this approach is not recommended for the general population.”

The initiative argues that livestock systems are “too precious to society to be simplistic, curtailed, or a victim of overzealousness.”

“These systems must continue to be integrated into society and be widely accepted,” the declaration said.

The scientists behind the paper sought to debunk the claim that red meat consumption is unhealthy and negatively impacts the environment.

The group found that previous research suggesting that a diet high in red meat was responsible for 896,000 deaths worldwide was flawed and should be retracted.

That study, a study of major global diseases, injuries and risk factors, helped the general public stop consuming red meat and favor a plant-based diet.

“The published peer-reviewed evidence reaffirms that: [the 2019 Global Burden of Disease Risk Factors Report] The scientific evidence that claims that even small amounts of red meat can be detrimental to health is fatally flawed,” argued Alice Stanton of the Royal College of Surgeons, Ireland.

“In fact, removing fresh meat and dairy from the diet would be harmful to human health. Women, children, the elderly and low-income groups would be particularly affected,” Stanton added. I was.

Scientists also found it difficult to replace the nutritional value of meat with plant-based substitutes, and poorer communities that consume less meat were more likely to experience adverse health effects such as stunting, wasting and anemia due to lack of meat. I warned you that you often suffer.Nutrients and protein.

“Animal foods are superior to plant foods, providing simultaneously several bioavailable micronutrients and high-quality macronutrients essential for growth and cognitive development,” says Florida. Adegbola Adesogan, Director of the University Global Food Systems Institute said.

“Dietary recommendations to eliminate animal products from the diet ignore their importance, especially the great need for these foods in the diets of undernourished people in the Southern Hemisphere.”

The Dublin Declaration, which called on “enthusiasts” to stop promoting a meat-free diet, included experts from several top universities, including Cambridge, Edinburgh, Bristol, Belfast, Newcastle, Nottingham and Surrey. It contains the signatures of several British scientists. Harper Adams, a prestigious agricultural college.

Animal Frontiers is the official research journal of four professional animal science societies: the American Animal Science Association, the Canadian Animal Science Association, the European Federation of Animal Sciences, and the American Meat Science Association.