At least that is what the report says - cutting meat to 3 meals a week would save 45,000 lives annually in the UK.
how many than would be saved by reducing it to zero! not to mention the sheer number of animals that would not be killed while still in their youth.
"Eating no more than three pieces of meat a week could prevent around 45,000 early deaths and save the NHS £1.2 billion each year, according to new research.
Researchers analysed the health of a people on a range of different diets. They found that lower-meat diets could cut deaths from heart disease by around 31,000, deaths from cancer by 9,000 and deaths from strokes by 5,000 each year. "
Hmmm - however I guess the farmer's lobby will have a different view - after all they are the guardians of the countyside.
chris
It's one of those studies that's used to create a headline, but when you look at the detail it says something completely different.
The study includes processed and supermarket meat which is high in fat, salt and GM fed.
I agree with many things the article suggests, and I have regular meat free days. But I think the important message is about over consumption, and in our culture we just over consume everything. It's over consumption that kills and that can be meat or vegetable. For example one of the most harmful products in lot of people's diet is hydrogenated palm oil that's found in most processed foods.
I'm a firm believer in a holistic diet and have no problems with eating meat. However it's essential to apply the same rules to eating meat as eating veggies. As consumers it's our responsibility to only buy the highest standards of produce, that's not travelled half way round the world, not destoyed rain forests, hasn't been genetically modified, deprived locals of their water, and a fair price has been paid to the producer.
Myarka