“Meat intolerance”: Can our bodies forget how to break down flesh?

“Meat intolerance”: Can our bodies forget how to break down flesh?

Some people who give up meat have claimed bad effects when they start back again. Could your body forget how meat should be broken down?

Eating less meat is among the simplest ways you may reduce your carbon footprint.

Eating less than 50g, or one Cumberland sausage’s worth of meat a day, if everyone in the UK followed a low-meat diet would save as much carbon as if eight million cars were parked permanently. Data from the UK government show that meat consumption is declining; between 1980 and 2022, consumption of beef, pork, and lamb dropped by 62% – and although the reasons given vary and may have more to do with rising costs than an environmental conscientiousness, more and more people are obviously experimenting with saying no to meat.

But can the ability of your body to break down it change if you go without consuming it for a long time? Sometimes vegans and vegetarians post on social media asking if returning to meat might cause stomach problems, bloating, or other symptoms. Others share their own tales, and a great late-night whirl of questions and cramps results.

Nutrition specialist Sander Kersten of Cornell University in the United States observes, however, limited data on whether eating meat after a long interval results in a bad stomach. “People haven’t studied it; lack of evidence does not mean it doesn’t exist,” he comments. ” That’s just what you have to deal with sometimes, not always a satisfying situation or answer.”

Moreover, the enzymes that break down animal proteins apply to those breaking down plant proteins. These enzymes pinpoint and break certain particular chemical bonds in proteins. Amino acids are the building components utilized in proteins whether they come from plants or animals. Enzymes can often break them down wherever they started from.

This method is different from the case with, say, lactose, animal milk sugars. Lactase is a particular enzyme your body requires to break down lactose; people without enough of this enzyme will be lactose intolerant and can experience stomach issues after eating dairy products.

But with animal proteins, it makes no sense to think of the body somehow halting to generate the enzymes needed to comfortably break down a hamburger; they are always there, breaking down whatever protein comes through, whether it from pea, soybeans, or steaks, says Kersten.