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 While the northern hemisphere's summer has been over for
some time, impassioned carnivores like myself know that it's still barbeque
season for another month or so. Yummmm, meat!
Now, let's make one thing clear: to grill is not to
barbeque, and a barbeque does not involve your coworkers coming over to your
backyard and drinking all the free beer. Barbeque requires slow cooking and
patience, and the perfect sauce--lots of the perfect sauce.
There is no way we can talk about an all-meat diet without the thoughts of Ron Swanson: "You had me at meat tornado."
 So what about an all-meat diet? We know there are
vegetarians and vegans-people who consume little to no animal byproducts--but
what about the opposite? We're not talking the Atkins diet here, but rather
people who eat nothing but meat.
MMMMM…Nutrition
 One of the best benefits of a meat-exclusive diet is the
amount of zinc it provides. This metallic element is essential for growth,
sexual maturation, and appetite regulation. However, high doses will have a
repressive effect on the immune system, while moderate doses in fact bolster
the body's biological defense. It's
important to note that vegetarians do not usually suffer a zinc deficiency,
though it's believed that at least 25% of the world is at risk for this health
adversity.
The considerable amount of protein is the most
obvious benefit of a meat diet. This source of amino acids provides
instructions for protein synthesis. The average human needs between 46-56 grams of protein per day and excessive
protein will go to waste.
 Iron is abundant in
red meat, and plays another important biological role. As part of the protein
hemoglobin, it carries oxygen from the lungs to tissues. It also plays a
critical role in digestion. Yet the body has no regulated way of disposing
excess iron, and men (who require less iron) are especially at risk for
consuming too much iron on an all meat diet. Iron helps produce free radicals
which have been shown to promote cancer and heart disease.
"My number one favorite food wrapped around my number three favorite food."
Finally, red meats have plentiful amounts vitamin B,
particularly thiamin, riboflavin, and niacin. These vitamins assist in cell
metabolism, nervous system function, and tissue health. Since B vitamins are
water soluble excessive amounts of vitamin B are excreted in urine.
While there is a noticeable lack in palette variety, there
are some adverse effects of a red meat diet as well. "Would you like to sample our
vegan bacon?" Meats tend to have high levels of saturated fat and often
raise cholesterol, and red meats have been directly linked to diabetes as well
as heart disease and cancer. Canned and processed meats tend to have high
levels of sodium which raises blood pressure. High-meat diets also strain the
kidneys and dehydration becomes more common.
The All-Meat Diet in
Practice
You may have heard of Vilhjalmur Stefansson, but let's face
it you probably didn't. As a Canadian-born Arctic explorer, he's well known for
his mismanagement of expeditions that led to many deaths amongst his crew. He
was also a communist. But what we're interested in here is his documentation of
the Inuit diet, and his partial adaptation to  it during his decade exploring
the Artic. The Artic is ill-suited for plant cultivation and the natives of
this area survive for months on end with no vegetation. Seal, walrus, whale,
caribous, and fish make up most of the Inuit diet, and due to rich levels of
omega-3 and monounsaturated fats there does not appear to be the same level of
health risk with other meats. The Inuit eat a large portion of their food raw
as well, preserving some essential vitamins and minerals. Some of this is due
to spiritual rituals, but also because stopping to filet and cook the meat may
freeze the hunter. Even if the Inuit drink
seal blood, they seem to remain remarkably healthy
throughout the year.
 Upon testimonial of Stefansson's carnivorous diet with the
Inuit, the medical community expressed skepticism at its health benefits. He
was challenged to recreate the diet--a challenge he accepted.
"There
is a hot, spinning cone of meat in that Greek restaurant…I'd like to eat that
whole thing."
The results of this study were published in 1930 in the
Journal of the American Medical Association. It documents how he was initially
prescribed a diet of lean meat, but was found to be very sick. Upon the return
of fat to his diet, a full recovery was made. His only fodder was beef, lamb,
veal, pork and chicken, and he ate about 800 grams of meat per day.
Carbohydrates were only supplied by the glycogen of the meat.
 After a year of this diet, physicians determined there was
"no subjective or objective evidences of any loss of physical or mental vigor."
No vitamin deficiencies were detected. Stefansson noted that his gingivitis had
cleared and that his hair and scalp felt healthier as well.
Seven years later, Steffanson had reverted to a more
Westernized diet that included grains, vegetables, and dairy--and during that
time he had become overweight.
Eating Meat
Is an all-meat diet really practical? No.
But would it be delicious? Yes.
"...shown the ways of flavorful meat love."
There is no way modern, first world humans would be able to
subsist on a strictly-meat diet. Individuals who have proven they can live on
such high protein intakes have also proven that they need at least 50-70% of
their calories coming from meat fat, preventing protein poisoning, and
providing valuable energy. The Inuit are proven to have genetically larger
livers and higher volumes of urine.
Interestingly, if I want to eat meat all year round then I'll
have to live in the cold and rarely cook it. I'd rather enjoy some less cold
weather and a shorter grilling season. Someday, I'll post the recipe to my
world class ribs--until
then, enjoy the fresh seal!
Ron, take us out! "When I eat, it is the food that is scared."
Image credits, in order: NPR, Ben Alman, Alex Leo Blog, The Medical Biochemistry Page, Ron Says, Wikipedia, UMN
Resources
Men's Fitness - All-Meat vs. Vegetarian Diets
Inhumane Expirement - Two Brave Men Who Ate Nothing But Meat For An Entire Year
Wikipedia - Zinc deficiency; Iron; Barbeque; Vilhjalmur Stefansson; Inuit diet
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Re: The All-Meat Diet
