What happens to your body when you stop eating MEAT? Find out more

Are you peckish about to eating meat in your diet? According to the NHS consuming meat is good for health. However, there some significant risks.

Nearly a third of Brits have started to eat less meat in the past year and many have quit it completely in favour or vegetarian or vegan diets.

The lifestyle change can have some interesting impacts on your health, as well as the environment.

From slimming down to smelling better, here’s a few things that happen when you go meat-free.

1. You'll lose weight

American researchers recently tried to figure out just how much weight a person could lose if they swapped to a vegetarian diet. The team from George Washington University School of Medicine found that ditching meat meant losing 10lbs on average – without counting calories or exercising more.

“The take-home message is that a plant-based diet can help you lose weight without counting calories and without ramping up your exercise routine,” said lead author Neal Barnard, MD.”

2. You’ll smell fresher

Quitting meat makes you smell more attractive.

Red meat is more difficult for your body to digest, so it works harder to do so and makes you sweat more.

A 2006 study tracked 17 men who ate either a meat or non-meat diet for two weeks.

It turned out the omnivores smelled nicer to women.

Researchers said: “Results showed that the odour of donors when on the non-meat diet was judged as significantly more attractive, more pleasant and less intense.”

3. You’ll slash your risk of getting heart

Research has shown that red meat can increase the risk of heart disease.

This is because it contains a nutrient called carnitine which causes microbes in the gut to contribute to the development of the disease.

“This adds to the growing body of data reinforcing a connection between red meat, carnitine ingestion and heart disease development,” said lead author Stanley Hazen, MD, PhD.”

4. You could become deficient in nutrients

Non-meat eaters can struggle to get some vital nutrients like iron, vitamin D and vitamin B12, according to the NHS.

But to combat this, make sure you’re eating a balanced diet without the need for supplements.

Up your iron intake by eating pulses, nuts, dark green vegetables, dried fruit and wholegrain.

Vitamin B12 can be found in soya, fortified breakfast cereals and Marmite while eggs and cereals contain vitamin D.

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