Meat as harmful as sugar, says study
Posted on: 10/Aug/2016 11:05:09 AM
A new study has said that meat intake is as harmful as sugar in the growing prevalence of global obesity. The study was conducted by researchers from the University of Adelaide.
Say the researchers, Fats and carbohydrates can provide us with enough energy to meet our demands, and are digested faster than protein, meaning the energy stored in meat is used later, or if surplus to requirements, is converted and stored as fat in the body. This means that increased availability of meat may be making a significant contribution to global waist sizes. Whether we like it or not, fats and carbohydrates in modern diets are supplying enough energy to meet our daily needs. Because meat protein is digested later than fats and carbohydrates, this makes the energy we receive from protein a surplus, which is then converted and stored as fat in the human body.
There is a dogma that fats and carbohydrates, especially fats, are the major factors contributing to obesity. The study differs from previous research into links between meat and obesity, which have linked meat`s fat content to weight problems. It is the protein in meat which is directly responsible.
The findings of the study were presented at the 18th International Conference on Nutrition and Food Sciences in Zurich, Switzerland. The research has also formed the basis of two papers on the issue, published in BMC Nutrition and the Journal of Nutrition and Food Sciences.
