This article will provide an overview of the health benefits as well as disadvantages of a diet heavily comprised of meat. This topic is of great interest to me because of recent movements toward vegan and other diets. Some information has been collected describing the risks of a meat-heavy diet. These risks include, but are not limited to: cancer, high cholesterol and obesity. An optimal diet can be defined as: a diet that maximizes health and longevity and, therefore, prevents nutritional deficiencies, reduces the risk of diet-related chronic diseases, and is composed of foods that are available, safe and healthy. tasty (Kudlackova, Babinska & Valachovicova, 2005). With this in mind, one might first wonder what nutrients are lacking in meat-heavy diets. On a protein basis, plants are much higher in non-essential amino acids than meat. Other nutrients that are lacking in diets consisting largely of meat include: carbohydrates, antioxidant vitamins, minerals, fiber, and vitamin C (Kudlackova, Babinska & Valachovicova, 2005). High meat consumption can often be associated with weight gain. Whey protein is probably one of the most consumed products by people who work out. It is claimed that “annual weight gain is positively associated with total meat consumption” (Williamson, Foster, Stanner & Buttriss, 2005). Inactivity as well as a high concentration of meat in the diet will lead to weight gain. In two articles associated with this, it was stated that due to the positive correlation between meat consumption and weight gain, it is favorable to decrease meat consumption. In the EPIC-Oxford study, four food groups were compared for differences in nutrient intake. .... middle of paper ...... Because meat is a nutrient-rich food, we have evolved to use it to the best of our abilities. The good outweighs the possible harm that can result from eating large amounts of meat. In fact, I consider myself extremely lucky to live in a place where high quality meat is so readily available. I never had to worry about iron deficiency, malnutrition, or many other illnesses. As far as cancer goes, I'm not worried about getting cancer from eating meat. This world is full of more and worse carcinogens than a good steak on a Friday night. With everything I have learned from reading these articles, I feel like I am much more informed about the nutritional benefits as well as the possible downsides of consuming them. meat, but my stance on meat eating is firm: “America was not built on bowls of salad.”