Game meat: Risks, lead, and hunting myths

A study published in the «Annals of Neurology» concludes that the brains of meat lovers age more quickly.

The research is based on data from the «Women's Health Study» and involved 6’200 healthy women.

A period of five years was observed. Women who met a large proportion of their fat requirements through saturated fatty acids showed significantly lower cognitive performance. Women who primarily consumed foods containing unsaturated fatty acids, on the other hand, performed better mentally.

Studies on red meat repeatedly warn of an increased risk of diabetes, frailty, cancer, cardiovascular disease, and more.

Meat always contains a high proportion of toxins and makes people extremely susceptible to physical and mental illness. Processed game meat is carcinogenic — like cigarettes, asbestos, or arsenic — as the World Health Organization (WHO) also explains. 50 g of meat = meat = 18% higher cancer risk.

In Canada, it is generally prohibited to sell game meat from recreational hunters in restaurants or shops, because it is regarded more as a poison than a food, according to an article in «The Globe and Mail». On one hand, the ban is intended to serve wildlife conservation, and on the other, because it is not safe. Uncontrolled meat can also be very dangerous to human health — causing gastrointestinal parasites. Because wild animals are free to roam, they are exposed to far more pathogens such as tuberculosis, Giardia, E. coli, Salmonella, Sarcocystis, and so on. Game meat is more frequently contaminated with dangerous bacteria and pathogens than commonly assumed.

The type of hunting also determines the quality of the meat. Driven hunts or battue hunts produce even lower-quality meat, which is not infrequently contaminated with ammunition residue. Meat hygiene among hobby hunters also fails to meet normal standards. The game often sits for hours without refrigeration — proper handling in accordance with standard legal requirements is nowhere in evidence.

Wild animals live in constant fear because of hobby hunters. Particularly when they are being hunted, they produce enormous quantities of toxic hormones, adrenaline, and so on, which combine in the meat with the other poisons and waste products already present. Even the ancient Romans knew that when they tortured slaves to death, the victims developed a certain poison in their saliva that could be used to poison others. The terror of death thus enters the tissue of wild animals and is consumed along with the meat by humans.

Does red meat accelerate brain aging?

Scientists attribute the difference in cognitive performance to accelerated brain aging that occurs with high consumption of red meat. The brains of meat lovers showed a state of aging typical of people who are five to six years older.

The researchers' recommendation is to reduce the consumption of red meat and to replace animal fats with plant-based fats.