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Red meat. So delicious. Beef, mutton, venison, boar, rabbit, bison, and even goat. All so, so good when properly prepared.
So good, in fact, that one might be tempted to eat nothing but red meat all the time!
But what would happen to your body if you did that?
That’s what the fine folks over at YouTube channel What If decided to find out and share with their almost 5 million subscribers.
“On this diet, we’re only eating red meat,” they begin. “No carbs, no veggies, and only water to drink. If you order a burger, hold the bun, the cheese, and give your friend the fries. And don’t think about adding salt either. All your nutrients will come from protein.”
Sounds wonderful.
Just don’t overcook it or you could trigger the production of compounds that may cause bowel cancer. That sounds… unpleasant.
Hmmm… according to the video below, a 2019 study published in the International Journal of Epidemiology found that consuming more than 76 grams (2.6 oz.) of processed or red meat each day increases the chance of developing colorectal cancer by 20%. That also sounds… unpleasant.
However! There is some good news. If you insist on eating nothing but red meat only eat free-range, grass-fed livestock and that meat is significantly more nutritious than grain-fed beef.
Unfortunately, eating nothing but red meat would cause a rather nasty problem with… well… your digestive system.
Without any fiber in your diet you would become constipated and feel intense abdominal pain. That’s not good. You would also develop kidney stones, which I can tell you from personal experience, SUCKS.
Then there is the whole increased chance of heart disease, or atherosclerosis, which would most likely result in you having a heart attack or stroke.
It gets worse.
Eating that much red meat also makes you more susceptible to diseases like Alzheimer’s, and your skin would, well, it would not look good. At all.
I don’t know about you, but I am thinking maybe I’ll mix in a few extra veggies the next time I fire up the grill.