Dudes, lets talk.
Meat eating is central to the idea of manliness in our culture. You could even say that meat is male, or at least that the metaphoric link between the two is undeniable. Meat supposedly gives us all the things we associate with manliness – strength, dominance, control, vitality, and respect from our fellow bros. And the opposite is also assumed – giving up meat means we’re giving up something that is strong and powerful, like ourselves… while simultaneously getting our man card revoked.
But is it really true? And does our cultural meat-man metaphor really capture the whole picture? According to the data, our metaphor is dead wrong.
Here’s Kayli’s take on the science…
Heart Health
People who eat a plant-based diet are less likely to die from coronary heart disease, the leading cause of death in the United States. In fact, heart disease death rates are 66% lower for plant-based men! Plant-based diets are also powerful enough to reverse heart disease. People suffering from heart disease who began eating a low-fat vegetarian diet reversed their atherosclerosis and experienced two times fewer cardiac events compared to people with heart disease who began the standard recommended “heart healthy” omnivorous diet.
Erectile Function
Erectile dysfunction, which effects an estimated 40% of men over 40 years of age, is the canary in the coal mine for heart disease. The first sign of clogged arteries is the inability to.. err.. raise the flag. So it goes somethings like this: you eat crap, you can’t get it up, you eventually develop traditional signs of heart disease. A plant-based diet is the only diet proven to prevent and reverse heart disease (and erectile dysfunction). So, forget the little blue pills. Your best performance enhancer? Plants.
Sperm Count
The more saturated fat you eat, the lower your sperm count. Guess where you find saturated fat? Meat, eggs, and dairy. Guess what foods contain low or no saturated fat? Plants. Animal foods (especially dairy) also contain feminizing sex hormones that might suppress sperm production. High cholesterol (reversible on a plant-based diet) is also linked to low sperm counts.
Prostate and Colon Cancer Prevention + Reversal
Research strongly links eating animal products, especially milk, to prostate cancer. When it comes to existing cancer, eggs and poultry are especially potent, shown to double and quadruple cancer progression! Men with prostate cancer were able to slow and even shrink their tumor growth by eating a plant-based diet. Eating meat is also strongly linked to colon cancer, with processed meats (bacon, deli meat, hot dogs, pepperoni, etc.) being the worst offenders. Processed meats are now officially ranked in the highest carcinogen category, right next to tobacco and asbestos. Dude, is your bacon really worth cancer?
Athletic Performance
Exercise creates oxidative stress which puts limits on the ability to perform and recover from exercise. A plant-based diet is rich in antioxidants which may result in less fatigue and quicker recovery. Many individual plant foods are proven performance enhancers as well.
The Bottom Line
Stop eating that nasty shit. It’s messing with the very things that make us manly- our hearts, our parts, and our physical performance. Plants, on the other hand, enhance all of these things. Real men eat plants.
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