100 Scientific Reasons to Not Eat Meat

1.) Neu5Gc is found only in animal meat. Neu5Gc appears to have a strong link to cancer

and heart disease.

Notes: Neu5Gc is not produced by the human body or our great ape ancestors (probably

due to a common mutation). But Neu5Gc is almost always found in human tumors. The

inflammation it causes seems to feed tumors and harden arteries.

Source: Diversity in specificity, abundance, and composition of anti-Neu5Gc antibodies in

normal humans: potential implications for disease. Glycobiology. 2008 Oct;18(10):818-30.

2.) Top 15 foods for advanced glycation end products (AGEs) are all meat sourced with

roasted BBQ chicken skin and fried bacon being the top.

Notes: AGEs are gerontotoxins (aka aging toxins). AGEs cause proteins to cross together

causing stiffness, oxidation stress, and inflammation in muscles, brain tissue, eyes, heart,

bone, red blood cells, and kidneys. Thought to contribute to muscle loss as we age.

Source: Advanced glycation end products in foods and a practical guide to their reduction

in the diet. J Am Diet Assoc. 2010 Jun;110(6):911-16.e12.

Source: Does accumulation of advanced glycation end products contribute to the aging

phenotype? J Gerontol A Biol Sci Med Sci. 2010 Sep;65(9):963-75. Epub 2010 May 17.

3.) Arachidonic acid (naturally found in animal foods) is linked to brain inflammation,

depression, anxiety, and stress.

Notes: Arachidonic acid is used by our bodies to create inflammation. Our bodies produce

all the arachidonic acid we need unlike other animals (e.g. cats) who produce little to none

because their bodies expect to get theirs from their diet (meat). Excess arachidonic acid

means excess inflammation.

Source: Preliminary evidence that vegetarian diet improves mood. American Public Health

Association annual conference, November 7-11, 2009. Philadelphia, PA.

4.) Chicken and eggs are the top sources of arachidonic acid.

Notes: Humans already produce the natural levels needed for our bodily functions.

Source: National Cancer Institute. 2010. Sources of Selected Fatty Acids among the US

Population, 2005–06.

5.) A single meal of high-fat animal products has been shown to spike inflammation

within hours that can stiffen one’s arteries.

Notes: Possible explanations could be the saturated fat or endotoxemia (see points 7, 8,

and 9 below). Wild animal meat also causes inflammation. See point 10 below.

Source: Effect of a single high-fat meal on endothelial function in healthy subjects. Am J

Cardiol. 1997 Feb 1; 79(3):350-4.

6.) High-fat animal products consumed will cause inflammation within the lungs.

Notes: Same study as above.

Source: Effect of a single high-fat meal on endothelial function in healthy subjects. Am J

Cardiol. 1997 Feb 1; 79(3):350-4.

7.) Significant levels of bacterial toxins are found in animal products that cause

endotoxemia (bacterial toxins in the bloodstream) within hours of eating.

Notes: 40 different types of common foods were tested.

Source: The capacity of foodstuffs to induce innate immune activation of human

monocytes in vitro is dependent on food content of stimulants of Toll-like receptors 2 and

4. Br J Nutr. 2011 Jan; 105(1):15-23.

8.) Bacteria endotoxins from animal products have been shown to survive high heat

cooking for long periods, acid (like our stomachs), and digestive enzymes.

Source: The capacity of foodstuffs to induce innate immune activation of human

monocytes in vitro is dependent on food content of stimulants of Toll-like receptors 2 and

4. Br J Nutr. 2011 Jan; 105(1):15-23.

9.) Endotoxins have a strong affinity for the fat transport system in our digestive tract.

Notes: Since our body is using our fat transport system to let in all the saturated fat (which

our body loves to absorb) from the animal products the endotoxins can slip right in.

Source: The capacity of foodstuffs to induce innate immune activation of human

monocytes in vitro is dependent on food content of stimulants of Toll-like receptors 2 and

4. Br J Nutr. 2011 Jan; 105(1):15-23.

10.) Even wild, grass consuming animals cause inflammation in our bodies.

Notes: Inflammation was less than domestic animals. It is believe that the lower fat

percentage for wild animals explains this.

Source: Differences in postprandial inflammatory responses to a ‘modern’ v. traditional

meat meal: a preliminary study. Br J Nutr. 2010 Sep;104(5):724-8.

11.) Dietary fat of animal origin is linked to pancreatic cancer.

Source: Dietary fatty acids and pancreatic cancer in the NIH-AARP diet and health study. J

Natl Cancer Inst. 2009 Jul 15;101(14):1001-11.

12.) The chicken has been linked to urinary tract infections.

Source: Chicken as reservoir for extraintestinal pathogenic Escherichia coli in humans,

Canada. Emerg Infect Dis. 2012 Mar;18(3):415-21.

Source: Is Escherichia coli urinary tract infection a zoonosis? Proof of direct link with

production animals and meat. Eur J Clin Microbiol Infect Dis. 2012 Jun;31(6):1121-9.

13.) Feeding of cow brains to fish is still legal in the United States (brain cows being fed

to cows and other livestock used to be legal and practiced a few years ago) and german

scientists have shown fish can acquire mad cow disease.

Notes: Please provide any information if the feeding of cow brains to fish is no longer

practiced or legal in the United States.

Source: Evaluation of the possible transmission of BSE and scrapie to gilthead sea bream

(Sparus aurata). PLoS One, 4(7):e6175, 2009.

Source:Bovine spongiform encephalopathy and aquaculture. J Alzheimers Dis, 17(2):277-

279, 2009.

Source:Food and Drug Administration, HHS § 589.2001

14.) Cholesterol has been shown to feed and promote the growth of cancer.

Source: Cholesterol and breast cancer development. Current Opinion in Pharmacology.

2012 12 (6):677–682.

15.) Half an egg a day or more is shown to double the odds of mouth, throat,

esophageal, prostate, and bladder cancer; triple the odds of colon and breast cancer.

Notes: May be explained by the dixons present. While banned, levels are still present in

our food and seem to be worst in animal products.

Source: Egg consumption and the risk of cancer: a multisite case-control study in Uruguay.

16.) The obesogen (chemicals that signal cells to turn into fat cells) organotin has been

found in large amounts in fish.

Source: Environmental obesogens: Organotins and endocrine disruption via nuclear

receptor signaling. Endocrinology, 147(6 – Suppl):-50, 2006.

Source: Dietary intake of organotin compounds in Finland: a market-basket study.

17.) Meat has little to no antioxidants. Most can’t beat iceberg lettuce.

Notes: One animal source of food did have an extremely high amount of antioxidants:

human breast milk.

Source: The total antioxidant content of more than 3100 foods, beverages, spices, herbs

and supplements used worldwide. Nutr J. 2010 Jan 22;9:3.

18.) High levels of PCB (industrial toxin) in fish oil, fish, and eggs (94% of eggs tested).

Source: European Food Safety Authority; Results of the monitoring of non dioxin-like PCBs

in food and feed. EFSA Journal 2010; 8(7):1701. [35 pp.]. doi:10.2903/j.efsa.2010.1701.

19.) Harvard studies of 37,698 men and 83,644 women, over 22 and 30 years,

respectively, found red meat to increase total mortality rates and cancer mortality rates.

Notes: Results were after controlling for age, weight, alcohol, exercise, smoking, family

history, calorie intake, and intake of whole plant foods. Nuts were found to be protective

when taken as an alternative protein source.

Source: Red Meat Consumption and Mortality: Results From 2 Prospective Cohort Studies.

Arch Intern Med. 2012;0(2012):201122871-9.

20.) Nitrites in processed meat form nitrosamines (carcinogens also found in cigarette

smoke) and are associated with the two leading pediatric cancers, brain tumors and

childhood leukemia.

Notes: Hot dogs have some of the highest levels. Pregnant women should probably avoid

hot dogs.

Source: A meta-analysis of maternal cured meat consumption during pregnancy and the

risk of childhood brain tumors. Neuroepidemiology. 2004 Jan-Apr;23(1-2):78-84.

Source:Nitrites, nitrosamines, and cancer. Lancet. 1968 May 18;1(7551):1071-2.

21.) 47% of U.S. retail meat tested is contaminated with staph (Staphylococcus)

bacteria. Multidrug resistant strains were common.

Notes: Turkey was the most common with 77% and chicken and pork with 41% and 42%,

respectively. A superbug version (methicillin resistant) was also found of MRSA that can

jump from pig to human.

Source: Multidrug-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus in US Meat and Poultry. Clin Infect Dis.

2011 May;52(10):1227-30.

Source: Infectious disease. From pigs to people: the emergence of a new superbug.

22.) Eating meat just a few times a month greatly increases the chances of abdominal

aortic aneurysm.

Notes: Once an abdominal aortic aneurysm begins to tear you have less than a 15%

survival rate.

Source: Analysis of risk factors for abdominal aortic aneurysm in a cohort of more than 3

million individuals. J Vasc Surg. 2010 Sep;52(3):539-48.

23.) Our liver can only detox about 50% of the heterocyclic amines (carcinogens) formed

from cooked chicken. Not the originally thought 99% which other animals can.

Notes: The animal that can detox 99% is the lab rat. Thus, the prior incorrect conclusion.

Source: Biomonitoring of urinary metabolites of 2-amino-1-methyl-6-phenylimidazo[4,5-

b]pyridine (phip) following human consumption of cooked chicken. Food Chem. Toxicol.,

46(9):3200-3205, 2008.

24.) One of the longest running studies showed meat consumption to increase allergies.

This included asthma, bee stings, drug allergies, and hayfever.

Notes: Meat (including fish) consumed by pregnant woman can cause their children to

have allergies.

Source: Knutsen SF. Lifestyle and the use of health services. Am J Clin Nutr. 1994 May;59(5

Suppl):1171S-1175S.

Source: Maternal meat and fat consumption during pregnancy and suspected atopic

eczema in Japanese infants aged 3-4 months: the Osaka Maternal and Child Health Study.

Pediatr Allergy Immunol. 2010 Feb;21(1 Pt 1):38-46. Epub 2009 Jun 23.

25.) Putrescine has been determined to be a carcinogenic. Putrescine is found in food

even when not spoiled. Highest level in canned tuna.

Source: Toxicological Effects of Dietary Biogenic Amines. Current Nutrition & Food

Science, Volume 6, Number 2, May 2010 , pp. 145-156(12)

Source: Significance of biogenic amines to food safety and human health. Food Research

International, Volume 29, Issue 7, October 1996, Pages 675-690.

26.) 100% of human Yersinia enterocolitica outbreak over the last decade was caused by

pork.

Notes: Y. enterocolitica usually causes bloody diarrhea and can have very harmful long-

term effects if left untreated. Half of American pig herds were found to be infected.

Source: Ranking the disease burden of 14 pathogens in food sources in the United States

using attribution data from outbreak investigations and expert elicitation. J. Food Prot. 75,

1278 – 1291 (2012).

Source:Prevalence of pathogenic Yersinia enterocolitica strains in pigs in the United

States. Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 71, 7117 – 7121 (2005).

27.) Processed meat is greatly associated with stomach, colon, rectum, pancreatic, lung,

prostate, testicular, kidney, and bladder cancer.

Source: Canadian Cancer Registries Epidemiology Research Group. Salt, processed meat

and the risk of cancer. Eur J Cancer Prev. 2011 Mar;20(2):132-9.

28.) Even small amounts of meat consumption less than once a week is linked to

degenerative arthritis.

Source: Associations between meat consumption and the prevalence of degenerative

arthritis and soft tissue disorders in the Adventist health study, California U.S.A. J Nutr

Health Aging, 10(1):7-14, 2006.

29.) After breast cancer diagnosis, increase in saturated fat consumption increased

mortality from breast cancer by 41%.

Notes: Top 5 saturated fat sources include cheese, pizza, pastries, ice cream, and chicken

(notice beef is not in the top 5).

Source: Post-diagnosis dietary factors and survival after invasive breast cancer. Breast

Cancer Res Treat. 2011 Jul;128(1):229-36.

Source: National Cancer Institute. 2010. Top Food Sources of Saturated Fat among US

Population.

30.) Poultry consumption is associated with an increase in lymphoma (blood cancer).

Source: Consumption of meat and dairy and lymphoma risk in the European Prospective

Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition. Int J Cancer. 2011 Feb 1;128(3):623-34.

31.) Chicken handling significantly increased risk of dying from penile (penis) cancer,

thought to be due to exposure to cancer causing viruses in poultry.

Source: Cancer mortality in poultry slaughtering/processing plant workers belonging to a

union pension fund. Environ Res. 2010 Aug;110(6):588-94.

32.) 14% of retail eggs contain viruses of the leukosis/sarcoma group.

Notes: These viruses are one of the most potent cancer causing viruses in chicken. Virus

exposure to humans seems to increased the risk of dying from several different cancers.

Source: Detection of exogenous and endogenous avian leukosis virus in commercial

chicken eggs using reverse transcription and polymerase chain reaction assay. Avian

Pathology (1999) 28, 385±392

Source: Cancer mortality in poultry slaughtering/processing plant workers belonging to a

union pension fund. Environ Res. 2010 Aug;110(6):588-94.

33.) Besides cancer, poultry workers suffer more from a range of diseases (e.g. thyroid

conditions, schizophrenia, autoimmune neurological disorders, peritonitis, and disease

of the kidneys).

Source: Mortality in the Baltimore union poultry cohort: non-malignant diseases. Int Arch

Occup Environ Health. 2010 Jun;83(5):543-52.

34.) Cured meat seems to increase the chance of getting chronic obstructive pulmonary

disease (COPD).

Notes: COPD is generally defined as lung diseases (e.g. emphysema). As of 2012, COPD is

the third most common killer in the United States.

Source: Consumption of cured meats and prospective risk of chronic obstructive

pulmonary disease in women. Am J Clin Nutr. 2008 Apr;87(4):1002-8.

35.) Increased meat consumption increases the risk of developing cataracts.

Source: Diet, vegetarianism, and cataract risk. Am J Clin Nutr. 2011 May;93(5):1128-35.

36.) Bacteria-eating viruses (bacteriophages) have been approved as meat additives.

Source: Bacteria-eating virus approved as food additive. FDA Consum. 2007 Jan-Feb;

41(1):20-2.

37.) Meat contaminated with fecal food-poisoning bacteria (e.g. salmonella) can legally

be sold.

Source: Public knowledge and beliefs about diarrheal disease. Foodborne Pathog Dis.

2011 Jan; 8(1):165-7.

38.) Meat, fish, cheese, and general animal protein intake have been associated with an

increased risk of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD).

Source: Animal protein intake and risk of inflammatory bowel disease: The E3N

prospective study. Am J Gastroenterol. 2010 Oct; 105(10):2195-201.

39.) One of the largest studies ever links meat consumption with increased overall

death, death by cancer, and death by cardiovascular disease.

Notes: Study followed 500,000 people over 10 years.

Source: Meat intake and mortality: a prospective study of over half a million people. Arch

Intern Med. 2009 March 23; 169(6): 562–571.

40.) High intake of meat, dairy, and butter have been shown to promote skin wrinkling.

Notes: For those curious, prunes, apples, and tea (especially green) appeared to be the

most protective and reduced wrinkling and scaling the most.

Source: Skin wrinkling: can food make a difference? J Am Coll Nutr. 2001 Feb;20(1):71-80.

41.) Abdominal fat has been linked to meat, egg, and milk consumption. Poultry seems

to be the worst offender.

Source: Will all Americans become overweight or obese? Estimating the progression and

cost of the US obesity epidemic. Obesity (Silver Spring), 16(10):2323-2330, 2008.

42.) Heterocyclic Amines (normally only found in cooked meat) have also been found in

cheese and eggs.

Source: Formation and biochemistry of carcinogenic heterocyclic aromatic amines in

cooked meats. Toxicol Lett. 2007 Feb 5;168(3):219-27. Epub 2006 Nov 16.

43.) Kidney failure is linked to meat.

Notes: Meat consumption was shown to cause human proteins to be urinated out

(microalbuminuria). Something that should never happen.

Source: Associations of diet with albuminuria and kidney function decline. Clin J Am Soc

Nephrol. 2010 May; 5(5):836-43.

44.) New, lower target cholesterol levels are not obtainable when meat is consumed.

Source: High marks for below-average cholesterol. For the best protection against clogged

arteries and heart disease, average cholesterol no longer makes the grade–lower is better.

Harv Heart Lett. 2006 Feb;16(6):4-5.

45.) Iron found in meat passes through the digestive system without regulation.

Notes: Iron is a pro-oxidant, which can cause oxidative stress and DNA damage. Too much

iron can cause colon cancer, cardiovascular disease, infection, and inflammatory

conditions. Body has no means to get rid of excess iron through a regulatory system.

Source: Mechanisms of heme iron absorption: current questions and controversies. World

J Gastroenterol. 2008 Jul 14; 14(26):4101-10.

46.) Animal foods (including turkey) shown to decrease tryptophan in the brain.

Notes: Tryptophan rich animal foods like turkey will increase the tryptophan levels in the

blood, but this in turns decreases it in the brain. Plant based foods high in tryptophan,

when compared to other amino acids, and carbohydrates (like seeds) work best to elevate

mood and tryptophan in the brain.

Source: Protein-source tryptophan as an efficacious treatment for social anxiety disorder:

a pilot study. Can J Physiol Pharmacol. 2007 Sep;85(9):928-32.

47.) Propionate. Meat has no fiber to support healthy bacteria in our guts. That means

our bacteria cannot produce propionate which is used to regulate cholesterol and either

help us feel satisfied or possibly regulate generation of new fat cells.

Source: Propionate. Anti-obesity and satiety enhancing factor? Appetite. 2011

Apr;56(2):511-5.

48.) Refined grains, eggs, and poultry shown to cause prostate enlargement the most.

Source: Food groups and risk of benign prostatic hyperplasia. Urology. 2006 Jan;67(1):73-

9.

49.) Even when meat consumption is reduced to only fish and eggs, insulin-like growth

factor (IGF-1) remained relatively the same.

Notes: IGF-1 has been shown to promote cancer growth.

Source: The associations of diet with serum insulin-like growth factor I and its main

binding proteins in 292 women meat-eaters, vegetarians, and vegans. Cancer Epidemiol

Biomarkers Prev. 2002 Nov;11(11):1441-8.

50.) Arsenic, lead, mercury, lead, cadmium, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH), and

veterinary drugs have been found contaminating animal products.

Source: Chemical safety of meat and meat products. Meat Sci. 2010 Sep;86(1):38-48.

51.) Fire retardant chemicals (PBDE) and polychlorinated naphthalenes (PCNs) found

heavily in meats.

Notes: For PBDEs, fish was the worst offender, followed by turkey, and the third worst

being chicken. PCNs have a dixion-like effect on the body. The animal with the highest

levels was fish. Second was chicken.

Source: Polybrominated diphenyl ether (PBDE) levels in an expanded market basket

survey of U.S. food and estimated PBDE dietary intake by age and sex. Environ Health

Perspect. 2006 Oct;114(10):1515-20.

Source:Polybrominated diphenyl ethers in U.S. Meat and poultry from two statistically

designed surveys showing trends and levels from 2002 to 2008. Agric Food Chem. 2011

May 25;59(10):5428-34.

52.) Consumption of meat, fish, and dairy products associated with mothers passing on

DDT (dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane) to their unborn child even decades after the

pesticide being banned.

Source: Organochlorine pesticides in umbilical cord blood serum of women from Southern

Spain and adherence to the Mediterranean diet. Food Chem Toxicol. 2010

May;48(5):1311-5.

53.) Perfluorochemicals (linked to thyroid disease) exposure comes from meat, fish, and

eggs.

Source: Perfluorochemicals in meat, eggs and indoor dust in China: assessment of sources

and pathways of human exposure to perfluorochemicals. Environ Sci Technol. 2010 May

1;44(9):3572-9.

54.) 30 year follow up of multiple sclerosis patients showed 95% of those who stopped

consuming saturated fat had no progression of the disease.

Notes: A 50 year follow up showed those 95% who started to consume animal fat again

instantly had the disease return. The conclusion of the study said MS is mostly likely

caused from saturated animal fat.

Source: Effect of low saturated fat diet in early and late cases of multiple sclerosis. Lancet

1990 336(8706):37 – 39.

Source: Review of MS patient survival on a Swank low saturated fat diet. Nutrition 2003

19(2):161 – 162.

55.) Increase dairy intake can double your risk of heart attack.

Source:Plasma and erythrocyte biomarkers of dairy fat intake and risk of ischemic heart

disease. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 86(4):929, 2007.

56.) Almost 80% of all antimicrobials (antibiotics) produced are used on and feed to

livestock.

Source: 2009 Summary Report on Antimicrobials Sold or Distributed for Use in Food-

Producing Animals. U.S. Food and Drug Administration. 2010.

57.) Elderly people given milk as children have triple the risk of colorectal cancer.

Source: Childhood dairy intake and adult cancer risk: 65-y follow-up of the boyd orr

cohort. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 86(6):1722, 2007.

58.) All types of meat (no matter how it is cooked) increases cancer of the uterus.

Notes: Poultry and fish increased the risk the most.

Source: Animal food intake and cooking methods in relation to endometrial cancer risk in

shanghai. Br. J. Cancer, 95(11):15861592, 2006.

59.) Only purines (meats) and fructose increases uric acid levels in our bodies.

Notes: Uric acid increases gout, high blood pressure, obesity, diabetes, kidney disease,

and cardiovascular disease.

Source: The role of uric acid as an endogenous danger signal in immunity and

inflammation. Curr Rheumatol Rep. 2011 Apr;13(2):160-6.

60.) PhIP (a type of heterocyclic amines carcinogen in cooked meats) not only damages

DNA, but also activates estrogen receptors (almost as strong as the hormone estrogen

itself) on breast cancer cells and promotes its growth.

Notes: PhIP has been found in mother’s breast milk. Meaning PhIP from cooked meat

does make its way to the breast tissues.

Source: The cooked food derived carcinogen 2-amino-1-methyl-6-phenylimidazo[4,5-b]

pyridine is a potent oestrogen: A mechanistic basis for its tissue-specific carcinogenicity.

Carcinogenesis 2004 25(12):2509 – 2517

61.) PhIP stimulates breast cancer cells to invade healthy cells more so than the

hormone estrogen itself. Even when PhIP is at low concentrations.

Notes: PhIP is most common in chicken, beef, and fish.

Source: The cooked meat-derived mammary carcinogen 2-amino-1-methyl-6-

phenylimidazo[4,5-b]pyridine promotes invasive behaviour of breast cancer cells.

Toxicology 2011 279(1 – 3):139 – 145

62.) Meat fumes from cooked meat may be hazardous for fetal development and

increase the risk of cancer.

Notes: Simply being around the vapors (polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons or PAHs for

short) was associated with a birth weight decrease and head shrinkage.

Source: Impact of barbecued meat consumed in pregnancy on birth outcomes accounting

for personal prenatal exposure to airborne polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons: Birth cohort

study in Poland. Nutrition. 2012 Apr;28(4):372-7.

63.) A diet high in protein, particularly animal protein, has been associated with relapse

of inflammatory bowel disease and a higher risk of inflammatory bowel disease.

Source: Diet and risk of inflammatory bowel disease. Dig Liver Dis 2012 44(3):185 – 194

64.) Microparticles (titanium dioxide and aluminum silicate), common additive in

pastries and processed food, consumed with endotoxins cause an inflammatory

response in the gut wall 6x greater compared to endotoxins alone.

Notes: Most people are digesting a trillion particles of titanium dioxide a day. Researchers

found these microparticles in all 18 diseased colons (colon cancer or inflammatory bowel)

used for a study. No microparticles were found in the healthy colons studied. Titanium

dioxide is used to make things white. Thus white powdered donuts tend to have the most

titanium dioxide out of all foods.

Source: Immune potentiation of ultrafine dietary particles in normal subjects and patients

with inflammatory bowel disease. J. Autoimmun. 2000 14(1):99 – 105

65.) Meat consumption linked to premature puberty in boys and girls.

Notes: Premature purberty has been linked to increased risk of developing breast cancer

in girls and abdominal fat and heart disease in boys.

Source: Internal exposure to pollutants and sexual maturation in Flemish adolescents. J

Expo Sci Environ Epidemiol 2011 21(3):224 – 233

66.) After consuming animal products human adiponectin levels drop. Hormone

adiponectin appears to be protective against cellulite.

Source: Adiponectin expression in subcutaneous adipose tissue is reduced in women with

cellulite. Int. J. Dermatol. 2011 50(4):412 – 416

Source: Meal modulation of circulating interleukin 18 and adiponectin concentrations in

healthy subjects and in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus. Am. J. Clin. Nutr. 2003

78(6):1135 – 1140

67.) Animal consumption linked to breast pain.

Notes: Prolactin has been shown to cause breast pain. When vegans and vegetarians in

South Africa (who have lower levels of prolactin and breast pain compared to women in

western civilization) were fed meat, their prolactin levels went up to match western

women. Two separate studies showed significant reduction in cyclical breast pain when

meat was removed from the diet.

Source: Diet, lifestyle, and menstrual activity. Am J Clin Nutr. 1980 Jun;33(6):1192-8.

Source: Diet and prolactin release. Lancet. 1976 Oct 9;2(7989):806-7.

Source: Serum prolactin and oestradiol levels in women with cyclical mastalgia. Horm

Metab Res. 1981 Dec;13(12):700-2.

68.) Amino acid L-carnitine (found heavily in red meat and popular energy drinks) has

been found to cause heart disease.

Notes: While our bodies produce L-carnitine, the problem comes when our gut bacteria

comes in contact with it and produces a toxic substance called trimethylamine oxide

(TMAO). This substance has been found circulating in our blood after L-carnitine

consumption. TMAO also appears to be linked to cancer.

Source: Intestinal microbiota metabolism of l-carnitine, a nutrient in red meat, promotes

atherosclerosis. Nat Med. 2013 Apr 7.

69.) Chickens consumption and handling linked to bladder infections.

Notes: When handling frozen chicken the UTI bacteria causing strains end up in that

person’s rectum. Even when the chicken is well cooked before consumption. This is

because the jump happens before it is cooked. The strains are usually antibacterial

resistant.

Source: Chicken as reservoir for extraintestinal pathogenic Escherichia coli in humans,

Canada. Emerging Infect. Dis. 2012 18(3):415 – 421

70.) Thorough cleaning with bleach right after every use has been found to be the only

method to significantly reduce chicken pathogens in kitchens. However, pathogens were

still detectable on some kitchen items.

Notes: All items used were washed in beach and surfaces were sprayed and wiped.

Washcloth was soaked in bleach. Bleach was allowed to sit on surfaces for 5 minutes

before test results were taken. Pathogens were still found on utensils, counters, and

washcloth.

Source: The effectiveness of hygiene procedures for prevention of cross-contamination

from chicken carcases in the domestic kitchen. Lett. Appl. Microbiol. 1999 29(5):354 – 358

71.) A 5% increase of calories from saturated fat (at the expense of calories from

carbohydrates) can result in a 38% lower sperm count.

Source: Dietary fat and semen quality among men attending a fertility clinic. Hum.

Reprod. 2012 27(5):1466 – 1474

72.) Xenoestrogens (human made chemicals with estrogenic effects) have been found

the most in fish.

Source: Role of environmental estrogens in the deterioration of male factor fertility. Fertil

Steril. 2002 Dec;78(6):1187-94.

73.) Fish eaters have been shown to have only a fraction of the sperm count of vegans.

Source: Role of environmental estrogens in the deterioration of male factor fertility. Fertil

Steril. 2002 Dec;78(6):1187-94.

74.) The American Heart Association took legal action through the FDA (which was

upheld by the Supreme Court) to have the egg industry cease and desist promoting eggs

as having no harmful effects on your health.

Notes: Not a scientific fact, but interesting nonetheless. The notable statement by the egg

industry was an advertising campaign that stated there is no scientific evidence that eggs

cause heart disease. After the courts reviewed the evidence, they found the statement to

be clearly false and misleading.

Source: Dietary cholesterol, serum cholesterol, and risks of cardiovascular and

noncardiovascular diseases. Am. J. Clin. Nutr. 1998 67(3):488 – 492

75.) One egg contains almost 2/3 of the cholesterol limit suggested by the American

Heart Association for healthy people.

Source: AHA Website

76.) Meat handlers have a much high mortality rate of cancer.

Notes: Most of the highest rates were found with the workers handling the final product.

Source: Cancer mortality in workers employed in cattle, pigs, and sheep slaughtering and

processing plants. Environ Int 2011 37(5):950 – 959.

77.) Growing up on an animal farm increases the chance of blood cancers (poultry farms

were the worst).

Notes: Growing up on farms only growing crops showed no increased chance of blood

cancers.

Source: Farming, growing up on a farm, and haematological cancer mortality. Occup

Environ Med 2012 69(2):126 – 132.

78.) Eating meat may cause cellular cannibalism (auto-immune polyradiculoneuropathy)

and thus explaining autoimmune attack (rheumatoid arthritis).

Notes: By consuming organisms in our own kingdom, our immune system may be

identifying our own flesh as foreign objects. Auto-immune polyradiculoneuropathy has

never been found to be caused by plant consumption.

Source: Meat-induced joint attacks, or meat attacks the joint: rheumatism versus allergy.

Nutr Clin Pract. 2010 Feb;25(1):90-1.

Source: Auto-immune polyradiculoneuropathy and a novel IgG biomarker in workers

exposed to aerosolized porcine brain. J. Peripher. Nerv. Syst. 2011 16 (Suppl 1):34 – 37

79.) Methionine (an amino acid) is required for many cancers and tumors to stay alive

and grow. Methionine is found virtually only in animal products (with eggs, fish, and

chicken being the worst).

Source: The effect of replacement of methionine by homocystine on survival of malignant

and normal adult mammalian cells in culture. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 1974 71(4):1133 –

1136.

80.) Meat is acidic which causes higher risk of kidney stones and lower urine acid

clearance.

Source: Diet-induced metabolic acidosis. Clin Nutr 2011 30(4):416 – 421.

81.) Choline, a substance very high in eggs, can cause trimethylamine (the smell of

rotten fish) to your breath, urine, sweat, and vagina.

Source: Smelling like dead fish: A case of trimethylaminuria in an adolescent. Clin Pediatr

(Phila) 2006 45(9):864 – 866.

82.) Choline is converted to TMAO which, as already stated, is linked to heart disease

and cancer.

Source: Intestinal microbiota metabolism of l-carnitine, a nutrient in red meat, promotes

atherosclerosis. Nat Med. 2013 Apr 7.

83.) Choline is associated with prostate cancer progression and death.

Source: Choline intake and risk of lethal prostate cancer: Incidence and survival. Am. J.

Clin. Nutr. 2012 96(4):855 – 863.

84.) Pork tapeworm brain infection is the most common parasitic disease in the brain for

people and is on the rise for humans in the United States.

Notes: Referred to as neurocysticercosis in the study.

Source:Clinical manifestations, diagnosis, and treatment of neurocysticercosis. Curr

Neurol Neurosci Rep 2011 11(6):529 – 535.

85.) Meat eaters have a lower resting metabolism compared to vegans and vegetarians.

Source: Sympathetic nervous system activity and resting metabolic rate in vegetarians.

Metab. Clin. Exp. 1994 43(5):621 – 625.

86.) Phosphorus preservatives are being injected into meat. These phosphorus

preservatives may damage blood vessels, accelerate the aging process, and contribute

to osteoporosis.

Notes: Higher phosphate levels are associated with significantly lower life span.

Source: Phosphate additives in food–a health risk. Dtsch Arztebl Int. 2012 109(4):49 – 55.

Source: The prevalence of phosphorus-containing food additives in top-selling foods in

grocery stores. J Ren Nutr. 2013 23(4):265-270.

87.) Phosphorus preservatives injected into poultry dramatically increase the growth of

food poisoning Campylobacter bacteria.

Notes: Campylobacter is recognized as the main cause of bacterial foodborne disease in

many developed countries.

Source:Effects of polyphosphate additives on Campylobacter survival in processed chicken

exudates. Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 2010 76(8):2419 – 2424

88.) Chicken nuggets from 2 national food chains found actual chicken meat was not the

predominant ingredient as fat was found in greater quantities along with epithelium,

bone, nerve (brain and spine), and connective tissue.

Source: The autopsy of chicken nuggets reads chicken little. Am J Med. 2013

126(11):1018-1019.

89.) Even when looking at endurance athletes, meat eaters’ arteries are thicker (from

atherosclerosis plaque) than your average vegan.

Source:Homocysteine, circulating vascular cell adhesion molecule and carotid

atherosclerosis in postmenopausal vegetarian women and omnivores. Atherosclerosis

2006 184(2):356 – 362.

Source:Long-term low-calorie low-protein vegan diet and endurance exercise are

associated with low cardiometabolic risk. Rejuvenation Res. 2007 10(2):225 – 234.

90.) Mercury and PCB exposure, due to fish consumption, shown to harm fetus brain

development.

Source:Functional MRI approach to developmental methylmercury and polychlorinated

biphenyl neurotoxicity. Neurotoxicology 2011 32(6):975 – 980.

91.) Mercury in fish shown to outweigh benefits of omega-3s when it comes to brain

development (specifically IQ).

Source: Fish consumption during child bearing age: a quantitative risk-benefit analysis on

neurodevelopment. Food Chem Toxicol. 2013 54:30-34.

92.) Due to mercury “sticking” to our bodies, most women planning on getting pregnant

need to avoid mercury containing foods 1 year before.

Notes: Half-life of mercury is about 2 months. That means after 2 months the mercury

amount present is cut in half.

Source:Fish consumption during child bearing age: A quantitative risk-benefit analysis on

neurodevelopment. Food Chem. Toxicol. 2013 54(NA):30 – 34.

93.) Pregnant women eating fish once a week give their infants more mercury than if

they were injected with six mercury containing vaccines.

Source: Speciation of methyl- and ethyl-mercury in hair of breastfed infants acutely

exposed to thimerosal-containing vaccines. Clin. Chim. Acta. 2011 412(17 – 18):1563 –

1566.

94.) Some chemicals (dioxins, PCB, and DDE) found in fish have half lives as high as 10

years.

Notes: A 10 year half life means after 10 years only half of those chemicals are gone from

your body. So it would take a lifetime to get even close to 1 percent of your present levels.

Source: Elimination half-lives of polychlorinated biphenyl congeners in children. Environ.

Sci. Technol. 2008 42(18):6991 – 6996.

95.) Gestational diabetes (diabetes during pregnancy which causes abnormal fetal

growth, birth defects, and infant mortality) risk is increased when meat is consumed

before pregnancy.

Notes: Bacon, processed meats, and eggs seem to do the worst damage.

Source: A prospective study of dietary patterns, meat intake and the risk of gestational

diabetes mellitus. Diabetologia. 2006 49(11):2604 – 2613.

Source:Risk of gestational diabetes mellitus in relation to maternal egg and cholesterol

intake. Am. J. Epidemiol. 2011 173(6):649 – 658.

96.) Cow’s milk contains estrogen and other hormones (naturally) which promote the

conversion of precancerous cell to invasive cancer and enhance the progression of

cancer cells.

Notes: Organic milk was used in the study.

Source: Milk stimulates growth of prostate cancer cells in culture. Nutr Cancer. 2011

63(8):1361 – 1366.

97.) Just how smoking is a risk factor for lung cancer, milk consumption is a risk factor

for prostate cancer

Notes: This is from a meta-analysis (a summation of all studies to date found on milk

consumption and prostate cancer) on case-control studies (looking at what people with

and without prostate cancer had consumed in their past) and another meta-analysis on

cohort type studies (following people throughout the years, what they consumed, and

who got prostate cancer).

Source: Milk consumption is a risk factor for prostate cancer: Meta-analysis of case-

control studies. Nutr Cancer. 2004 48(1):22 – 27.

Source: Milk consumption is a risk factor for prostate cancer in Western countries:

Evidence from cohort studies. Asia Pac J Clin Nutr. 2007 16(3):467 – 476.

98.) “Meat glue” enzyme, transglutaminase, has potential food safety and allergy

implications.

Notes: The enzyme functions as an auto-antigen and will give problems to those who are

gluten intolerant. Bacteria from other parts of the animal (like E. coli O157:H7) can be

found along the glue line.

Source: Transglutaminase, gluten and celiac disease: Food for thought. Nat. Med. 1997

3(7):725 – 726.

Source:Escherichia coli O157: H7 risk assessment for production and cooking of

restructured beef steaks. Report of progress (Kansas State University. Agricultural

Experiment Station and Cooperative Extension Service); 873 2010.

99.) Study found 70% of purchased chicken breasts for the study contained cancer

causing form of arsenic beyond the safety thresholds of the FDA.

Source: Roxarsone, inorganic arsenic, and other arsenic species in chicken: A U.S.-Based

market basket sample. Environ Health Perspect. 2013 121(7):818 – 824.

100.) Amino acid leucine has the greatest effect on increasing mTORC1 (believed to

accelerate the aging process). Meat products have the most leucine.

Notes: Calorie restriction is known to down-regulate mTORC1. However, protein

restriction, especially the amino acid leucine, has been found to be just as effective.

Source: Amino acid sensing and regulation of mTORC1. Semin Cell Dev Biol. 2012

23(6):621 – 625.

Source:Nutrient control of TORC1, a cell-cycle regulator. Trends Cell Biol. 2009 19(6):260 –

267.