This post should actually be called “The Politics of Nutrients.”
The reason for that is that food isn’t considered food anymore, so far as the media or governments or nutritionists are considered. At least that is what In Defense of Food states. Food has been deconstructed down to the point that oranges aren’t oranges anymore. Rather they are a source of Vitamin C. And tomatoes are a source of lycopene.
This technical terminology is used for a very important reason. The reason being that food, especially meat, can never been accused of hurting someone.
For example, cookies and crackers don’t cause cancer and heart disease. Oh no, it’s the trans fat in them. It’s a way of diffusing the blame. Like, “that murderous thief isn’t bad, they just have a hard heart.”
In Defense of Foodstates that this all started in 1977 when a Senate Select Committe on Nutrition put out a report on health and diet. The research team had recommended that meat consumption be reduced since they had found that meat was the cause (at least a significant cause) of heart disease and other chronic diseases and cancers.
Senator George McGovern decided that this recommendation could not be released (he was, of course, highly influenced by the many meat farmers in his constituency) and formed his own reviewing committee that consisted of lawyers and journalists.
The report was retooled and released with the recommendation to reduce meat intake replaced with a recommendation to limit Saturated Fats.
Frankly, as well read as I am, I can never keep the fats straight. Polyunsaturated, trans, mono saturated, hydrogenated… it’s enough to make the head spin. So now consumers hear that saturated fats are bad for you but where do you find those? How do you keep them straight?
Wouldn’t it be easier to just say ‘meat causes heart disease” or “tomatoes help iron absorption”?
But that’s what those invested in meat or margarine, or Kraft Diner or whatever want you to think. If you are confused then you keep buying what you used to buy. Plus they use that ploy in another way. Have you ever seen eggs enriched with omega fatty acids? Or cheese with probiotics? Enrich something and the public will think it’s good for them. You could enrich cola and see “health conscious” people start drinking cola.
The benefit is never the same from eating an enriched product than from eating the real deal. If you want real vitamins etc. then eat your damn veggies. And, remember that there is nothing that our bodies need in meat. It is a nutritionally void food that raises the pH of your body and makes you more likely to get cancers or diseases. If you think that protein is an important enough reason to keep eating meat than keep eating yourself into a coronary! Cultures and countries that do not eat meat are much healthier and do not not suffer from heart disease and other diseases of affluence.
Another interesting factoid from the book was that in the last world war there was a ration on meat. When that happened the rate of heart disease and stroke etc. went down. Then when the war was over and meat consumption returned to normal the rates went back to their usual trend.
Food for thought…and only that! I certainly wouldn’t consider meat to be food for the body!