What would it take for you to give up eating meat?
A recent study published last Monday reported that limiting nitrogen levels in our large intestines could control the amount of bacteria growing in there. From 30 animal feces samples that Dr. Reese and her team of scientists at Harvard University measured, they found that meat-eaters’ feces contained more nitrogen than those of omnivores or herbivores. That’s because protein contains nitrogen. Lots of it.
This means that when you eat protein, you’re literally feeding the bacteria in your intestines with nitrogen. Believe it or not, over 1000 different species of bacteria live in our largest intestines alone. Luckily, most microbes – short for microorganisms – in our bodies help in processing food waste and regulating immunity. In fact, intestinal bacteria that typically live in our large intestines play a vital role in metabolic activities, such as fermentation. Fermentation essentially describes the breakdown of carbohydrates into smaller molecules known as fatty acids.
Electron Micrograph of E. coli. Image from Flickr.
So in these cases, it would actually be beneficial to make sure that these good bacteria thrive. Otherwise we wouldn’t be able to break down the fibres found in oats, barley, and quinoa. To promote bacterial growth, we should eat more meat and eggs, or beans and tofu if you are a vegetarian, to increase our intake of protein.
But occasionally we house harmful parasite like salmonella which cause intestinal infections. Salmonella is an invasive bacteria that’s usually associated with consuming contaminated or raw eggs and chicken. As a result, you would often get diarrhea and stomach cramps.
Then eating meat would have a negative impact on your body. Since protein contains high levels of nitrogen, bacteria would feed off the same nutrients that your body requires. Not only do parasites compete with the good bacteria residing in our intestines for growth, but by allowing parasites to thrive and manifest itself, we become more ill. Under these circumstances, you probably want to stay away from eating all foods high in protein to be safe.
For someone who loves to eat sushi and Korean barbeque, it would devastate me too much to stop eating fish or meat. Besides, there are probably more friendly bacteria than parasitic bacteria otherwise we would constantly feel ill. Next time, I’ll make sure to properly cook all meats and minimize cross contamination as much as possible so that I don’t contract any harmful bacteria.
A steak dinner. Image from Flickr.
So would you eat less protein after Dr. Reese’s study suggests that this would help limit bacteria’s growth in our large intestines?
– Jacqueline Zheng
