The societal role of meat—what the science says

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Abstract
Eating meat has been the aspiration for an enjoyable and nutritious meal in most cultures and during most times for at least as long as there are written records, and likely far back to the earliest days of our genus some 2 million yr ago. Nonetheless, history also indicates that there has been frequent and prominent advice to abstain from meat or even prohibit its consumption, for cultural, spiritual, nutritional, or economic reasons. The societal debate around the value of meat is neither new nor has it been dispassionate. Science has been a participant in this debate from early on as well. While Pythagorean communities abstained from meat based on reincarnation theories, Aristotle came to the reasoned conclusion based on everything that he knew about 2,300 yr ago: “The tame animals are for the use and nourishment of mankind, while the wild ones, if not all, most of them, are on account of nourishment and help, in order that clothes and other tools come to be from these. And therefore, if nature does nothing in vain or without a purpose, it is necessary that nature made all of these on account of humans” (Aristotle, Politics, 1256b10-22). It is therefore fair for every generation to reask this question considering the best and most recent scientific evidence available: should eating meat in sufficient portions be a common and important part of the standard human diet?

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