Raw Meat Diet

While the culture of eating cooked meat has evolved with the development and growth of human civilizations, there is no dearth of people and societies where the culture of eating raw meat is still in existence. In fact, in the recent years, as the debate on eating raw meat has gathered momentum, researchers and scientists have come out with various conclusions about the pros and cons of consuming raw meat in our diets.

Since humans are omnivores, they have the ability to eat and digest both vegetarian food and non-vegetarian foods. Eating raw meat, in essence, was the survival tool for our forefathers and hunters of the prehistoric ages. Since every individual's body constitution, eating habits, digestive health and tastes vary, we choose vegetarian or non-vegetarian diets, depending on our own choices. With some celebrities acknowledging raw meat diet as an effective method to lose weight and achieve holistic health, most people have become curious to know about the truth behind eating raw meat diets.

Eating Raw Meat Foods

Generally, raw meat food diet consists of eating foods that are unprocessed, undomesticated and don't contain any types of chemical or additives. They are completely raw foods and comprises some organic fruits and vegetables, raw meat, organ meat, eggs and dairy products. The transition from eating properly cooked meat to eating the uncooked meat is not an easier one for people who never had raw meat in their lives.

So for people who are planning to start on a raw meat food diet, they must consult an expert nutritionist to learn some vital tips for ensuring that such dietary transformation suits them well. The proponents of raw meat food diet proclaim to derive various benefits of eating raw meat.

Benefits
Processed foods are believed to be devoid of necessary enzymes and proteins as cooking them above a certain temperature destroys the enzymes. Enzymes are necessary for digestion of foods and proteins are essential for giving us a healthy body. Overcooked and roasted meat loses most of the proteins. Raw meats are believed to contain high levels of proteins, vitamins, minerals and other fatty acids that are good for the growth and development of the body.

Generally, free range meats, that is the meat of cattle who are allowed to tread freely in the farm and consume anything they like, are believed to have higher contents of proteins and vitamins. Besides this, many people have found excellent health benefits of eating raw meat as they have developed increased body immunity and have better energy efficiency.

Raw Meat Dangers
While consuming raw meat, the chances of food poisoning increase drastically as undercooked food has high chances of getting infected by the bacteria and parasites. The potential hazards of eating undercooked food is immense and before one cooks raw meat, ensuring hygiene is extremely essential. Microorganisms like bacteria and parasites are invisible to the naked eyes and they are always ready to feed on raw meat, if it's left for a long time.

E. coli and Salmonella are two most common bacteria that have been commonly found in raw meat and they are responsible for various infections. Salmonella infections are a form of food poisoning in children and adults with relatively weaker immune system caused by the bacteria Salmonella. Campylobacter jejuni is another bacteria infecting people who are on raw meat diet and it's known to cause severe abdominal pain, fever and headaches. Tapeworm and trichina worm are other parasites that can possibly cause infections and diseases to people who feed on unhygienic and undercooked meat.

As we can see, the merits and demerits of eating raw meat diet stand true at their respective places. And since every human being has different digestive abilities, a diet that is adequate for one, may not be healthy for the other. People who love to feed on raw meats must ensure that they take proper measures with respect to the hygiene of the raw food diet else they are always at a risk of aforementioned problems. Including raw meat in diet plans may be healthy for some and it may not suit others. Whatever be the case, before adopting raw meat diet in your lifestyle, consulting a nutritionist is always advisable.