Have you decided to stop eating meat? Here is everything you need to know about the consequences this can have on your body.

The choice to stop eating meat can be motivated by concern for animal welfare, a desire to lose weight or to preserve one’s health. But what is it really? If stopping meat brings many health benefits, it can also have negative consequences in the absence of dietary rebalancing.

I reduce my iron intake
Red meat is rich in iron, an important trace element for the proper functioning of our body but which can increase the risk of cardiovascular disease when it is present in excess. It promotes oxidative stress which damages the walls of the arteries. If you are a big eater of red meat, eliminating it from your diet will reduce your iron intake and preserve your arteries.

Be careful, iron should not be removed from the diet because it is essential for hemoglobin and myoglobin for the transport of oxygen in the cells, but also for the immune system and the muscles. If we stop eating meat, iron intake must be found elsewhere. We must turn to pulses. “The iron quality of pulses not being the same as in red meat, they should preferably be eaten with foods rich in vitamin C so that the iron is properly assimilated by the body. All fresh vegetables contain vitamin C”, warns Maxime Mességué, dietitian nutritionist.

My body produces less bile acids
To digest the fats in red meat, the liver produces bile acids. When you eat too much red meat, these acids are produced in excess and can irritate the colon, increasing the risk of colorectal cancer. By stopping meat, we protect ourselves against this risk.

I limit inflammatory reactions throughout the body
Meat fats contain arachidonic acid which promotes inflammation in the body. A meat-free diet decreases the risk of inflammatory reactions throughout the body.

I increase my intake of fiber and good fats
When we stop eating meat, we must find other sources of protein: fish, dairy products, eggs, legumes, oilseeds, fruits and vegetables rich in protein… In addition to their protein content, these foods provide us with fiber and good acids. fatty acids: polyunsaturated fatty acids (omega 3 and 6) and monounsaturated fatty acids (omega 9).

I lose weight
Removing meat from your diet can lead to weight loss if you adopt good eating habits. “If on the side we eat too many sugars, starches and industrial products, stopping meat will have no effect on the balance”, indicates the dietitian. On the other hand, replacing meat with vegetable proteins and fish promotes weight loss.

I lower bad cholesterol
Bad cholesterol (LDL) is favored by excessive consumption of high-fat meat and cold cuts. Removing them from your diet can lower it. “Again, provided you eat well on the side by favoring fruits and vegetables, legumes, omega 3; and not to rush on other fatty foods”, insists Maxime Mességué.

Beware of deficiencies!
As we have seen, removing meat from our diet requires some adjustments to achieve a balance: compensating for the loss of protein from meat with vegetable proteins, fish, eggs, dairy products… If this balance is not reached, the absence of meat can cause dangerous deficiencies for health:

Iron deficiency. It results in anemia causing fatigue and weakening of natural defenses. In addition to red meat, it is found in soybeans, lentils, white beans, oysters, oily fish, almonds. (see our selection of foods richest in iron);
Vitamin B12 deficiency. This vitamin is essential for the proper functioning of the nervous system, the transport of oxygen to cells and the proper expression of genes. It is found only in animal products. Hence the need to maintain fish, dairy products and eggs in one’s diet to benefit from them;
Protein deficiency. They are necessary for the proper functioning of the muscles and the balance of the level of sugar in the blood (glycemia). A meatless diet is not a problem as the meat protein is replaced by other protein-rich foods.