What happens to your body if you eat no meat at all?

Answer 1

Meat is a great source for some necessary nutrients, but not the only source. You can stay healthy w/o meat, but you need to watch and plan your diet so that you still get what you need. If you ignore this and simply stop eating meat your health is likely to deteriorate and you may even develop deficiency illnesses.

Answer 2

Nothing. However you must ensure that you keep an eye on your vitamin intake, particularly Vitamin B12. Also, don't make the mistake of replacing meat with junk food-very easy to do :)

It's a good time to be a vegetarian, I've been one for 30 years. When I gave up meat, fish and pultry first, I spent a few years eating omelettes:) Thankfully,there are a plethora of choices now.

Answer 3

The following things can happen to your body if you eat no meat at all:

1. It can be healthier. People who don't eat meat tend to eat more fruits, vegetables, legumes, whole grains, nuts, and seeds. This kind of vegetarian diet is healthier than the standard American diet (SAD), especially when it comes to preventing, treating, or even reversing Heart disease and reducing your risk of cancer. Cardiovascular disease kills 1 million Americans annually and is the leading cause of death in the United States, but according to Dr. Joel Fuhrman, MD, the mortality rate for cardiovascular disease is lower in vegetarians than in people who eat meat. In fact, a low-fat vegetarian diet is the single most effective way to prevent coronary artery disease or stop its progression. A vegetarian diet is healthier because vegetarians consume less animal fat and cholesterol (vegans consume no animal fat or cholesterol) and instead consume more fiber and more micronutrient-rich vegetables and fruits.
   
2. It can be slimmer. The SAD tends to be high in saturated fats and processed foods and low in vegetables, fruits, legumes, and whole grains. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 64 percent of adults and 15 percent of children aged 6 to 19 are overweight and are at risk of weight-related ailments including heart disease, stroke, and Diabetes. A study conducted from 1986 to 1992 by Dr. Dean Ornish, MD, found that overweight people who followed a low-fat, vegetarian diet lost an average of 24 pounds in the first year and kept off that weight 5 years later. They lost the weight without counting calories or carbohydrates and without measuring portions or feeling hungry.
   
3. It can live longer. Dr. Michael F. Roizen, MD, says that if you switch from the SAD to a vegetarian diet, you can add about 13 healthy years to your life. People who consume saturated animal fat have a shorter life span and are more disabled at the end of their lives. Meat, along with dairy and eggs, clogs your arteries, diminishes your energy levels, and slows down your immune system. Meat eaters also experience accelerated cognitive and sexual dysfunction at a younger age. Residents of Okinawa, Japan, consume a low-calorie diet of complex carbohydrates, fruits, vegetables, and soy. They have the longest life expectancy of any Japanese and likely the longest life expectancy of anyone in the world, according to a 30-year study of more than 600 Okinawan people who were 100 years old or older.
   
4. It can be at less risk of food-borne illnesses. According to the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA), meat, poultry, fish and seafood are frequently involved in food-borne illness outbreaks. The CDC reports that food-borne illnesses of all kinds account for 76 million illnesses a year, resulting in 325,000 hospitalizations and 5,000 deaths in the United States.
   
5. It can have more energy. Animal fat in your bloodstream clogs your arteries and reduces blood flow to your muscles, making you feel tired. Vegetarian diets that also avoid dairy and eggs are free of cholesterol-laden, artery-clogging animal fat that physically slow you down. And because vegetables, legumes, fruits, and whole grains are high in complex carbohydrates, they supply your body with plenty of slow-burning fuel.
   
6. It can eliminate regularly. Meat contains no fiber. Vegetables, legumes, fruits, whole grains, and seeds are loaded with fiber, which pushes waste out of your body. People who don't eat meat tend to have fewer instances of constipation, hemorrhoids and diverticulitis.
   
7. It can contain fewer toxic chemicals. According to EPA estimates, nearly 95 percent of the pesticide residue in the SAD comes from meat, fish, and dairy products. Fish, in particular, contain carcinogens--such as PCBs and DDT--and heavy metals--such as Mercury, arsenic, lead, and cadmium--that can't be removed by cooking or freezing. Meat and dairy products can also be laced with steroids and hormones.