Meat critical for good health and development

A 14 percent decline in United States consumer meat consumption over the past decade has caused alarm with one Texas A&M AgriLife scientist who warns the effects could be dire for overall human health and child development. Dr. Guoyao Wu, distinguished professor in the department of animal science at Texas A&M University, said U.S. consumers have been overwhelmed with misinformation about protein and fats in meats, which in turn has led to many consuming less meat or no meat at all.“Obesity rates have gone up the last 20 years, while consumption of meat has declined,” Wu said. “So I don’t believe that we can blame obesity on eating meat. Rather I think excessive portion sizes and lack of exercise are more likely the causes of obesity.” Wu said animal meat has lots of beneficial antioxidants, such as taurine and carnosine, “which are extremely important to protect the gut, skin, heart, eyes and other organs. Plants do not provide these antioxidants.” Wu co-authored a paper that appeared in the American Society of Animal Science, http://bit.ly/2edWZv8, which examines the composition of amino acids in certain cuts of beef. According to the paper, meat consumption helps build muscle protein and ameliorates muscle loss in the elderly.