Raw meat diet: Raw vs. cooked? That is the question for many carnivores. Especially the more seasoned folks who have been on this way of eating for a while and observed how good a rare steak feels. But is raw meat genuinely healthier? Is the nutrition more bioavailable? Is this the ultimate carnivorous method? Is it all a bunch of glorified zealots with a strange craving for blood and no care for personal health? Let’s find out together.
WHAT EXACTLY IS THE RAW MEAT DIET?
The raw meat diet may be for you if you’re looking for a fresh method to change your eating habits. As the name implies, it is largely composed of raw meat; however, some variations also contain raw eggs, fish, and dairy.
Proponents of the raw primal diet, also known as the raw primal diet, think that eating raw meat will improve your health, but what precisely is it?
A stringent raw meat diet consists of just consuming raw meat. Although raw pig and fowl should never be ingested. You’ll find raw steak, beef, lamb, and venison on the raw meat diet.
However, many individuals on the raw meat diet consume other meals. While raw dairy, fish, and eggs may not seem to be the most appealing items on the menu, they may be eaten with raw meat when following this meal plan.
Now that you know what the raw meat diet is, let’s get to the major question:
Raw meat diet: Is raw meat safe to eat?
If you thought the comments you received when you told people you were on the carnivore diet were bad, wait till you tell them you’re on the raw meat diet, and you’ll be asked the same question: is it safe?
Contrary to widespread assumption, eating raw meat is safe if properly cooked. Take a look at this man who has been eating raw meat for years!
Similarly, if you’re going to include raw meat in your diet. You’ll need to be sure your food comes from clean and reliable sources.
Many individuals believe that raw meat is unsafe because of the germs and/or parasites present. Because heating may kill germs and parasites, some assume that eating raw meat is bad for you.
However, the great majority of meat-borne diseases are the result of improper meal preparation or poor meat quality. While germs are more likely to be present in raw meat than in cooked meat, buying meat from a trustworthy source and properly cooking it may reduce this risk. In reality, as long as it’s properly cooked, a good-quality piece of raw meat has just a little chance of making you ill.
Of course, adopting a raw meat diet is not for everyone. People with impaired immune systems, for example, may opt to keep to a carnivorous diet without consuming raw meat. However, if you don’t have any underlying health conditions, source your meat appropriately, and cook it properly. There’s no reason to suppose that consuming raw meat is bad for you.
The Science of Eating Raw Meat
Consistently, those who consume raw meat report better or easier digestion, a lighter feeling, and more energy. Why would this be the case? Isn’t it true that heating your meal makes the nutrients more bioavailable?
Raw meat diet: THE EXPERIMENT WITH RAW FROG
In 1984, a Russian scientist called Alexander Ugolev conducted an experiment with two frogs, one cooked and one raw.
Each frog was put in a cup of hydrochloric acid, which is present in the stomachs of most carnivores.
To say the least, the findings were intriguing. The raw frog entirely disintegrated, but the pre-cooked frog remained essentially intact with very minor surface alterations.
The reason for this is that when exposed to HCl, the cells in the raw frog suffered “autolysis,” which implies “self-destruction.”
In other words, the raw frog digested itself in the presence of hydrochloric acid. Due to chemical changes generated by cooking, the cooked frog was unable to do so.
Raw meat diet: THE EXPERIMENT WITH THE POTTENGER CAT
Francis Pottinger Jr. did an experiment on over 900 cats in the 1930s. Some animals were fed raw meat and milk. While others were fed cooked meat and milk, and yet others were fed a combination of raw and cooked meat and milk.
He observed that cats fed raw meals consistently had superior physical and mental health than their cooked meat counterparts.
Furthermore, cats fed cooked food acquired a slew of problems that became worse with each generation of cooked food cats. Only when the cooked-fed cats were fed a raw meat diet were the health concerns corrected. And even then, it took many generations to recover complete health.
All well and good for frogs and cats, but what about humans?
Raw meat diet: OBSERVATIONS ON THE WESTON A PRICE
Weston A. Price, a dental surgeon, studied the health of indigenous tribespeople in their natural surroundings as well as those who had relocated to cities in the 1930s.
He found that indigenous individuals who ate their ancestral diet of raw and cooked animal meals were free of most contemporary diseases and had excellent tooth development. Those living in contemporary cities on the Standard American Diet have poor facial development and a variety of diseases.
He argued that the increase in agriculture was the cause of many vitamin deficiencies. So much so that by feeding patients an animal-based, raw food diet, he was able to correct several diseases and change their face shapes.
The Benefits of a RAW Meat Diet
A carnivorous diet’s high protein content may surely enhance your energy and reduce your risk of autoimmune diseases, but a raw meat diet offers additional benefits. See whether a raw meat diet is good for you by reading the pros and cons:
NUTRIENTS ADDED
Raw beef, for example, includes a high concentration of B vitamins, which support cell health, improve cognitive function, boost energy levels, and aid in the prevention of illnesses. In addition, proponents of the raw primal diet believe that heating meat makes it more difficult to digest, implying that going from medium steak to steak tartare may be beneficial to your stomach.
Furthermore, the heating process kills a considerable amount of the enzymes present in raw meat. The higher amount of enzymes present in raw meat may be advantageous to your health since many individuals feel that consuming some of these enzymes might be good for you.
C VITAMIN
A carnivorous diet may cause you to miss out on your daily intake of vitamin C. Normally found in fruits and vegetables, you’ll need to find another way to absorb this important vitamin if you only eat meat.
Fortunately, a raw meat diet allows you to acquire the vitamin C you may be lacking otherwise. People believe that meat has no vitamin C; however, this is not true. Because vitamin C is a heat-sensitive vitamin, the cooking process eliminates it from meat. Check out the vitamin C content in the liver!
There is no heat used to get rid of the vitamin C when you ingest raw meat. As a consequence, if you add raw meat to your diet, you may follow a carnivorous lifestyle and still obtain your daily amount of vitamin C.
REDUCED CARCINOGENS
Cooking meat may result in the formation of a number of potentially carcinogenic chemicals, such as advanced glycation end-products, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, and heterocyclic amines. While some experts feel the quantity of carcinogens created during the cooking process is insignificant, others say they pose a major health danger.
In any case, a raw meat diet means you won’t be consuming them and won’t have to worry about the risks they may pose.
SIMPLICITY
A raw meat diet is simple to follow and does not require sophisticated mathematical formulas before reaching for a snack. If you’re fed up with monitoring calories, restricting your food intake, and obsessing over your next meal, a raw meat carnivorous diet may be a welcome change. You’ll also save time by not having to prepare everything ahead of time, and you’ll be able to substantially minimize the amount of washing up!
Also read: Foods that are very effective for height growth in children
The disadvantages of a RAW meat diet
The raw meat diet, like any other diet, has significant drawbacks, including:
DIFFICULTY IN FINDING GOOD PRODUCE
When you first start eating raw meat, you may be wary about where you got it. It’s a good idea to be wary since selecting a high-quality source of meat is vital. While it may be difficult to find a shop you can trust, once you start eating raw meat, you’ll find butchers, supermarkets, and restaurants you can rely on.
COST
The cost of a raw meat diet might be too expensive for many individuals. Purchasing high-quality meat may be more costly than you’d want, and there’s no way to avoid the additional cost. However, since any diet should include high-quality items, the raw meat regimen may not add as much to your grocery expenditure as you imagine.
UNEXPECTED ATTENTION
You’ll be a novelty if you don’t come from a society where raw meat is often eaten. Thankfully, the unwelcome attention does not last long. New lifestyle choices are becoming much more prevalent in today’s culture, so the raw meat diet isn’t as out there as it initially seems. Furthermore, once individuals experience the benefits, they’ll start reaching for the sashimi and steak tartare on their own.
With few drawbacks and several potential benefits, it’s easy to understand why the raw meat diet is gaining popularity. Check out these 5 tips to make your meals safe and delicious if you want to adopt a raw meat, carnivorous diet.
5 SAFE WAYS TO EAT RAW MEAT
1. STORE MEAT IN THE FREEZER FOR 14 DAYS.
Freezing fish and meat removes potentially hazardous microorganisms found in all raw meats and fish. By keeping the food frozen for at least 14 days, you may get rid of potentially dangerous extras while making your meals considerably safer.
2. EAT FRESH FOOD
When your meat or fish has defrosted or thawed, keep it cold and consume it right away. Allowing raw meat to stay at room temperature allows germs to thrive, which may lead to complications. You practice appropriate food preparation and keep your meals fresh by keeping your meat extremely cold and eating it shortly after it has thawed.
3. Eat quality food.
Don’t risk consuming meat or fish if you’re not sure where it came from. Although it is always important to find high-quality meals, it is even more important when following a raw meat diet.
On any carnivorous diet, it’s critical to start by analyzing the treatment of the animals that provide the meat you’re consuming. In addition to seeking out suppliers that adhere to high standards of animal care, you should only consume meat from pastured animals.
Grass-fed animals are healthier for both them and you. Many farms now provide direct-to-door food services, allowing you to source high-quality meat directly from your farmer. By reducing the factors in the supply chain, you get greater control over where and how your meat is obtained.
4. USE CITRUS
It’s pretty uncommon for chefs to fry raw fish in lemon or lime before serving it, and you can do the same at home. Citrus has the ability to kill potentially hazardous germs found in raw meat or fish. By soaking the meat or fish in lemon and/or lime, you may sear it and remove contaminants. This is an excellent additional precaution for keeping your food safe.
5. INCLUDE RAW EGGS
Raw eggs may be an important part of a raw meat diet, so don’t be hesitant to include them. People have similar concerns about raw eggs as they do about raw meat, but the same guidelines apply: source your eggs from a high-quality supplier or farmer, and there’s no reason they can’t be a healthy and welcome addition to the raw meat diet.
Simply put, raw meat is safe when bought and cooked appropriately, and it may be an exceedingly nutritious option.