One man's meat has always been another man's poison. In the past, most vegetarians turned their back on animal products for moral reasons: they believed that taking life in order to eat was cruel and unnecessary. But a more self-interested group is joining the vegetarian ranks.
Their dietary change has been prompted by fears for their own welfare, fuelled by reports about antibiotic and pesticide residues in meat and the possibility of catching bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE). The new, selfish vegetarian may also believe that eating meat will contribute to the risk of heart disease and cancer.
In a Gallup poll published last April, 43 per cent of those questioned claimed to have reduced their meat consumption. Ten per cent said they were now either vegetarian or were avoiding red meat. The poll was carried out in January, just before a BSE scare.
According to Greg Sams, the inventor of the Vegeburger, who commissioned the Gallup poll: "In the past, people were vegetarians because they disliked the killing of animals. The trend has now moved towards self-interest. People feel healthier when they give up meat they have more energy, sleep better, have less sinus trouble."
Surveys similar to Gallup's have been conducted since 1984, but this was the first to cite health as the main reason for the abandonment of meat eating.
The public perception that meat is bad for you has damaged both farmers and butchers. Red meats, particularly lamb and beef, are continuing to decline in popularity, while there is a big increase in the consumption of poultry. But are the fears of the selfish vegetarian justified, and is his or her diet really healthier?
A report from the Meat and Livestock Commission and the Health Education Authority (HEA) points out that poultry eaten with the skin on contains two or three times as much fat as lean red meat. The report, "Meat, Diet and Health", emphasises the high nutrient content of red meat particularly in the form of protein, the B vitamins, iron and other trace elements and is particularly concerned to correct any impression that red meat is intrinsically high in fat. Pork, regarded by many people as a fatty meat, has the lowest fat content of the red meats, and the lowest proportion of saturated fats.
The commission is in the middle of a รบ1.3 million "Meat to Live" advertising campaign, which stresses that meat is a rich source of iron, the mineral essential for fitness and energy.
Nevertheless, a number of studies examining the health of vegetarians suggest they have lower blood cholesterol levels, suffer less heart disease and are less likely to succumb to cancer than meat eaters.
But Anne Heughan, a nutritionist with the Coronary Prevention Group, says the health of a vegetarian depends very much on what type of vegetarian he or she is. "If vegetarians are eating plenty of fruit and vegetables and lots of whole grain foods, their diet may well be healthier than average, provided their diet does not depend too much on cheese and milk, which are high in fat. We know that the antioxidants in vegetables have beneficial effects in terms of avoiding cancer and heart disease.
"The problem with the research evidence on the health of vegetarians is there may be other factors at work which have nothing to do with the diet. For example, anyone who takes the trouble to be a vegetarian may be the type of person who is generally more health-conscious, more likely to exercise, less likely to smoke."
Although British heart disease rates are high, we do not eat vast amounts of meat compared with other nations. According to "Meat, Diet and Health", the average Briton eats about 25 per cent less meat than a Frenchman, German or Dane and about 30 per cent less than an American.
Nevertheless, Caroline Hurren, the nutrition officer with the HEA, believes that we eat too much meat, and that meat is not an essential part of the diet. But she adds: "If you give it up, you have to think about how to replace the missing nutrients. Because meat is such an important source of protein, iron, zinc and the B vitamins, we would advise people to keep it in their diets, but to trim the fat off or buy leaner cuts."
Dr Roger Whitehead, the director of the Medical Research Council's Dunn Nutrition Unit, says that people who cut out meat risk a deficiency in a number of micronutrients, particularly iron. A mixed diet that includes meat is "the biological norm" for mankind, and ideally one meal containing red meat should be eaten every day.
"If we had a large number of people moving towards vegetarianism without giving care and attention to their diet, we could expect a rise in nutritional disorders such as anaemia and zinc and magnesium deficiency," Dr Whitehead says.
Professor Michael Crawford, the director of the Institute of Brain Chemistry in Hackney, east London, believes that the ideal diet would be similar to that eaten in Japan and Mediterranean countries, containing much more fish, cereals and vegetables than is consumed in Britain, but still including meat. "The Japanese have the highest longevity in the world, and they also look younger than westerners, while heart disease rates are much lower in Mediterranean countries," he says.
Many people appear to be substituting fish for red meat in their diet. According to the Sea Fish Industry Authority, fish consumption has been increasing steadily over the past three years. Fish is an excellent source of easily digested animal protein, and it is rich in polyunsaturated fatty acids, which are said to give protection against heart disease. Fish also contains zinc and iron, although generally in lower quantities than red meat.
Concerns about meat provide opportunities for retailers who are prepared to move with the times. Michael Wilby, a butcher in the market town of Diss in Norfolk, offers customers a range of lean meats, including low-fat, home-made sausages and beefburgers. "We are able to tell our customers where we get the meat, show them what it looks like on the bone, and talk about the safety aspects," he says. "If butchers are struggling, it is because they are not changing with the market."
