Messenger of the Lord

What Scientific Research Indicates Regarding a Meat Diet

Meat and obesity: It is difficult to become obese when following humanity’s original diet (Genesis 1-3—fruits, grains, nuts, and vegetables). Recent studies indicate that those who eat a meat diet are much more likely to be obese. In the Adventist Mortality Study 16 percent of vegetarian women and 8 percent of men were obese whereas in the non-vegetarian Adventist group 32 percent of the women and 20 percent of the men were obese. ³⁷ Because meat is high in fat, it contains many calories in a small space and is thus a high-caloric-density food. MOL 322.9

Meat, obesity, and cancer: But obesity leads to further liabilities. Obesity increases the risk of coronary heart disease by 50-100 percent, and the correlation with the risk of cancer increases dramatically. Obesity increases the risk of cancers such as breast cancer, ³⁸ endometrial cancer, ³⁹ prostate cancer, colon cancer, ⁴⁰ and other cancers. “People who eat high-fat diets tend to be heavier and to eat more meat and fewer fruits and vegetables, so their risk of cancer also is increasing.” ⁴¹ MOL 322.10

In Hiroshima, Japan, breast cancer was 3.8 times greater in people consuming meat daily compared to vegetarians. Daily users of eggs had 2.8 times greater risk, and butter and cheese users 2-3 times greater risk than non-consumers of these items. ⁴² In a study of 265,118 Japanese, meat eaters had 2.5 times greater risk of pancreatic cancer. ⁴³ MOL 323.1

Immune system: The human immune system is directly affected by what one eats, and thus the body’s resistance to cancer may be the most important factor in preventing cancer. Excesses or deficiencies of any nutrient adversely affects the immune system. For example, a high protein diet depresses T-lymphocyte cells, ⁴⁴ and an unreasonably low protein diet, as in Kwashiorkor, depresses the immune system. Obesity depresses the immune system, as does starvation. A high serum cholesterol depresses the immune system, as do excess doses of vitamins C or E. ⁴⁵ MOL 323.2

Meat and cancer: The mortality ratio involving ovarian cancer is distinctly different between MOL 323.3

(a) Adventist lacto-ovo-vegetarians (15.9/100,000), MOL 323.4

(b) those using meat one to three times a week (18/100,000), MOL 323.5

(c) the general population of California (24/100,000), and MOL 323.6

(d) Adventists using meat four or more times weekly (26.4/100,000). ⁴⁶ MOL 323.7

In that same study comparing the first three groups, the mortality ratios for breast cancer were: MOL 323.8

(a) 64/100,000; MOL 323.9

(b) 73.3/100,000; and MOL 323.10

(c) 81.6/100,000. ⁴⁷ MOL 323.11