I was watching Countryfile (23 August 2009) and the item on red meat particularly concerned me. While the argument for us to eat less red meat because of the global effects of the methane gas emitted by cows is valid, shouldn’t the farmers be looking at what they are feeding the cows, that causes them to produce so much methane? Afterall, whatever is emitted, is the result of what is ingested. It was good to see that they are researching different types of grass that may alleviate the problem.
Alot of animals are fed antibiotics throughout their life, to prevent them from contracting diseases, which is not good for them and has a detrimental effect on the quality of the meat. Do you want to be eating meat that is dosed-up on drugs? I know that I don’t, which is why I buy all my meat directly from my local farm and the taste is so superior to any meat that I previously bought in the supermarket. My main concern was the item ‘linking’ red meat to an adverse effect on our health. We are animals that are meant to live of the land and red meat is a staple of our existence. Red meat is full of natural goodness and provides our bodies with more of the fundamental vitamins it needs, compared with white meat.
When Countryfile’s chosen member of the public for this item received the results of his medical and discovered that his cholesterol was high, they only mentioned LDL (Low Density Lipoprotein), the bad cholesterol and not HDL (High Density Lipoprotein) the good cholesterol. If his HDL is high, then that is good, as this is used by the body as a protector. If his LDL is high, then that is not good, but it doesn’t mean that his high consumption of red meat is the cause. Red meat is not the problem, it is how it is cooked that is the cause of high bad cholesterol. Most people cook with one of the many oils that are available on the market today, but don’t realise that the oils turn to ‘trans fats’ (bad fats) when heated at high temperatures, which is one of the main causes of high bad cholesterol. If people were to cook with a natural fat, such as butter or lard, they would be increasing their level fo HDL (the protector), as these products do not turn into bad fats, because they maintain their natural composite. So, at the end of the report, when the guy was eating his meal in the pub that consisted of fish, chips and vegetables; while the chips and fish are nutritionally good, it’s not what he is eating, but how it is cooked.
Let’s not make red meat a scapegoat for the failing health of the public, when there are so many other factors to consider.