4 ms·

I really think it is irresponsible to keep repeating dietary hypothesis as fact. The notion that red meat is bad for you does not have compelling evidence, bas

I really think it is irresponsible to keep repeating dietary hypothesis as fact. The notion that red meat is bad for you does not have compelling evidence, based all my years of obsessively researching this ... and with the help of equally obsessive and more qualified friends. As far as I can tell, how a diet makes you feel and presents visually is the closest thing we have to a reliable indicator of the health effects of that diet. From that standpoint, many many people get amazing results from a diet high in red meat. I cannot urge people enough to maintain skepticism with regards to “scientific” dietary advice, and try to do what makes them feel healthier and more energetic.

chiefalchemist 7y ago
Yes, I hear you. But please note, I was intentional about the words I used. That is, "Generally unhealthy." The way I've heard it said best is this: "Cows' milk is a nutritional and hormonal cocktail intended specifically for the growth and development needs of baby calves. Needless to say, if anyone is reading this, they are of the cow species, and should be mindful of their dietary consumption.
- whiddershins 7y ago
  There is nothing careful about the phrase “red meat and dairy.” These are two very different things, and within each group there are many variations. What even is “red meat?” Does it include pork? Or only goats, sheep, and cows because they are all ruminants. Is chicken really so much better? How is meat different from fish? Does red meat just mean beef muscle meat? What about organ meat? I could write 1,000 words trying to even define this term. Dairy can come from many different kinds of animals, can be fermented, aged, and processed to remove some or all fats. Lactose tolerance has a huge genetic component, arose much later in human evolution, and can vary with a human being’s age. Whole books have been written on this topic. The whole thing, if you are scientifically and medically rigorous, descends into endless details and speculative biological mechanisms, ambitiously scoped epidemiology and tiny little short term controlled trials. What your comment does is try to simplify the discussion so what is healthy aligns with what seems to be environmentally advantageous. It does thus by cherry picking data, glossing over basic details such as even defining terms, and boiling all that down to an often repeated heuristic that just doesn’t hold up to any serious scrutiny.

chiefalchemist 7y ago

Yes, I hear you. But please note, I was intentional about the words I used. That is, "Generally unhealthy." The way I've heard it said best is this: "Cows' milk is a nutritional and hormonal cocktail intended specifically for the growth and development needs of baby calves. Needless to say, if anyone is reading this, they are of the cow species, and should be mindful of their dietary consumption.

whiddershins 7y ago
There is nothing careful about the phrase “red meat and dairy.” These are two very different things, and within each group there are many variations. What even is “red meat?” Does it include pork? Or only goats, sheep, and cows because they are all ruminants. Is chicken really so much better? How is meat different from fish? Does red meat just mean beef muscle meat? What about organ meat? I could write 1,000 words trying to even define this term. Dairy can come from many different kinds of animals, can be fermented, aged, and processed to remove some or all fats. Lactose tolerance has a huge genetic component, arose much later in human evolution, and can vary with a human being’s age. Whole books have been written on this topic. The whole thing, if you are scientifically and medically rigorous, descends into endless details and speculative biological mechanisms, ambitiously scoped epidemiology and tiny little short term controlled trials. What your comment does is try to simplify the discussion so what is healthy aligns with what seems to be environmentally advantageous. It does thus by cherry picking data, glossing over basic details such as even defining terms, and boiling all that down to an often repeated heuristic that just doesn’t hold up to any serious scrutiny.