**TL;DR - While I am all in for a more plant-based diet, I believe that meat and dairy products should not be excluded from any diet for health reasons. A meat-free diet contains risks that can's be easily avoided**. First of all, meat is a primary source of nutrients like protein, vitamin B12, and iron, among others. Supplementing all these in a meat-free diet is certainly not easy and not as effective as when meat is included in a person's diet. According to a Harvard Medical School article (see 'Becoming a vegetarian'), there are ways around eating meat, but I believe it is much harder. For example, the lack of Vitamin B12 can lead to 'neurological problems and pernicious anemia', and sources of B12 are more difficult to find (soy and rice), while supplements for all these nutrients mean a much more expensive lifestyle. Iron in meat is also much more easily absorbed, according to the article. In my view, it is good that vegetarians and vegans have many more options now than they had a few decades ago, but there are still health problems that can be caused by a meat-free diet in the long term. Oxford University Research has shown that 'vegetarians and vegans have a 20 per cent higher risk of stroke than those who regularly tuck into a plate of bacon and sausages. The authors of the study, which tracked almost 50,000 Britons for 18 years, said this might be because vegies did not have enough cholesterol in their blood'. While plant-based eating can lead to a healthier lifestyle for many reasons, eating moderate amounts of meat can help prevent serious health problems. Additionally, Luke Mintz says that a study in *Science Direct* has shown vegetarians to be '18 percent more likely to suffer from depression, 28 percent more prone to anxiety attacks and disorders, and 15 percent more likely to have depressive moods', which means that a diet lacking in meat can cause mental health problems more easily. This is another reason why meat consumption is good for health reason. For me, we have to eat food from different sources so that we can create a healthier diet, and this applies much more urgently for people with health problems who benefit from meat eating. Diets based solely on plants and plant-based products can have many benefits, but they can also lead to deficiencies that are hard to supplement and much more costly. Works Cited Hibbeln, Joseph R., and others, 'Vegetarian diets and depressive symptoms among men', *Journal of Affective Disorders*, 225 (2018), 13-17, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jad.2017.07.051. Mintz, Luke, 'Why going meat-free could damage your health' (2019) <https://www.goodfood.com.au/good-health/why-going-meatfree-could-damage-your-health-20190909-h1hupr> [accessed 5 February 2021]. 'Becoming a vegetarian' (2010-20) <https://www.health.harvard.edu/staying-healthy/becoming-a-vegetarian> [accessed 5 February 2021]. 'Going Vegetarian? Be Aware of Some Possible Side Effects' <https://lifesum.com/health-education/going-vegetarian-be-aware-of-some-possible-side-effects/#:~:text=According%20to%20a%20study%20on,likely%20to%20have%20depressive%20moods.> [accessed 5 February 2021].

**TLDR: Whilst I do not judge people that eat meat, I do think that of all the things that we can do for our health, cutting out meat (and or dairy) is the dietary change with the biggest positive impact on the world and ourselves** The meat and dairy industry has such a massive negative impact on the world, accounting for roughly 14.5% of the world's yearly greenhouse gases. If we were to stop eating these things then the climate would be in much better shape, and climate change is likely to be the thing that wipes us out eventually (which definitely doesn't sound too good for us). I think the main issue I take with arguments for eating meat in terms of health benefits is that sometimes it assumes vegetarians think that as long as you don't eat meat you can eat whatever else you like. I'm a vegetarian and I eat terribly and inconsistently, but I would much rather improve my health by cutting down on processed foods than eat something that requires the death of a sentient being. Eating meat is bad for my mental health because it is something that goes against my morals. Everyone's diet contains a lack of something that can lead to increased risk of health conditions, and I think the ethics of eating meat vs not eating meat has led to the politicization of vegetarianism. Nutritional studies lay the smoking gun of health problems at the feet of vegetarians and meat eaters alike, yet how much of a direct link can be made to either one when diet encompasses such a massive range of foods? So I personally do not think that the health benefits of eating meat outweigh the benefits to everything else including yourself of vegetarianism. And if I die of a heart condition, it's probably more likely to be the smoking and drinking rather than skipping the Big Mac!

**TL;DR – Athletes paint, for the most part, a picture of optimum health; and according to leading scientist featured on the Netflix documentary ‘Game Changers’, a vegan diet is the most effective diet for athlete performance.** The common claim that protein is the most important fuel for energy is simply wrong, it is highly inefficient, with 20-30% of each calorie wasted through heat (Westerterp 2004). Alternatively, carbohydrates remain the ideal source of energy for optimal performance (Thomas et al 2016), derived almost completely from plants. One of the main experiments carried out on athletes within the documentary focussed on blood flow after consumption of plant/animal-based meals. They found that after just one animal-based meal, the consistency of the blood was much thicker, slowing down transportation of oxygen to working muscles and organs. The thickening of blood worked to slow down nutrient transportation to cells in our muscles and brain, as well as the reduced elimination of waste products (Barnard et al. 2019). Diet was also found to significantly influence both chronic and acute inflammation. Meat products were found to contain a vast amount of pro-inflammatory compounds and molecules. Li et al. (2013) conclude that the consumption of just one hamburger can increase measures of inflammation by 70%. Whereas plant-based foods were seen to be full of anti-inflammatory compounds and antioxidants, with plants having up to 64 times the antioxidant content to animal products (Carlsen et al. 2010). The documentary concludes by highlighting that, whatever your fitness level, a plant-based diet has significant benefits for both health and performance. Barnard ND, Goldman DM, Loomis JF, Kahleova H, Levin SM, Neabore S, Batts TC. Plant-based diets for cardiovascular safety and performance in endurance sports. Nutrients. 2019 Jan;11(1): pii: E130. Carlsen MH, Halvorsen BL, Holte K, Bøhn SK, Dragland S, Sampson L, Willey C, Senoo H, Umezono Y, Sanada C, Barikmo I, Berhe N, Willett WC, Phillips KM, Jacobs DR Jr, Blomhoff R. The total antioxidant content of more than 3100 foods, beverages, spices, herbs and supplements used worldwide. Nutr J. 2010 Jan;9:3. Li Z, Wong A, Henning SM, Zhang Y, Jones A, Zerlin A, Thames G, Bowerman S, Tseng CH, Heber D. Hass avocado modulates postprandial vascular reactivity and postprandial inflammatory responses to a hamburger meal in healthy volunteers. Food Funct. 2013 Feb 26;4(3):384-91. Thomas DT, Erdman KA, Burke LM. American College of Sports Medicine Joint Position Statement. Nutrition and athletic performance. Med Sci Sports Exercise. 2016 Mar;48(3):543-68. Westerterp KR. Diet induced thermogenesis. Nutr Metab (Lond). 2004 Aug;1(1):5.

**TL;DR I think that there are no more health risks in a vegetarian diet than there is in a meat eaters diet**. I believe that it is completely manageable to have a healthy and fulfilled diet without consuming meat. Firstly, with a bit of learning and research I think it is very possible to get all the nutrients required. For example, there are many vegetarian iron rich foods, there is 6.6 mg of iron in one cup of lentils, 2.4 mg in a cup of pasta and 3.4 mg in a cup of oats (there are also countless other sources that provide substantial iron content). Education on the topic would provide awareness about the countless other food sources that contain the nutrients meat provides. Also, many of my friends are meat eaters and consume it in nearly all their meals, yet a lot of them still suffer from iron deficiency. Just because someone consumes meat, there is still no guarantee that they will not suffer from these ailments. Additionally, the argument that vegetarians are more likely to suffer from mental health issues such as depression may not be a direct result of their diet. Research shows that many vegetarians tend to be more intelligent, a study found that those who stick to a vegetarian diet have IQs around five points higher than those who regularly eat meat. It has also been proven that intelligent people are more likely to suffer from depression, those of the highest IQ are shown to be much more likely to suffer from anxiety / mood disorders. Therefore, the link between vegetarianism and mental health issues may not be a direct one but rather influenced from biological / environmental factors. Also, whilst there are health concerns about a vegetarian diet, there are also health risks associated to eating meat. Recent research shows that long-term consumption of meat increases the chances cardiovascular disease, colorectal cancer and type 2 diabetes. Vegetarian or meat eater, the two diets both have health risks. WORKS CITED: ‘Vegans, meat-eaters and Iron’ (7 April 2020), https://plantbasednews.org/your-health/faqs-and-mythbusting/vegans-meat-eaters-iron-ultimate-guide/ Hambrick David, ‘Bad news for the highly intelligent’ (5 December 2017), https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/bad-news-for-the-highly-intelligent/ ‘Vegetarians are more intelligent, says study’ (13 April 2012), https://www.standard.co.uk/hp/front/vegetarians-are-more-intelligent-says-study-7082629.html ‘Health Risks associated with meat consumption: A review of Epidemiological studies’ (2015) https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26780279/#:~:text=Recent%20evidence%20from%20large%20prospective,of%20total%20mortality%2C%20cardiovascular%20disease%2C

Humans evolved as carnivores, as can be seen by our digestive system.