What’s the deal with lab-grown meat?
Lab-grown meat—just thinking about it is enough to feel totally grossed out. But, if this term is new to you, you definitely want to know more about it and how lab-grown meat may be popping up at your local grocery store over the next few years.
We’re breaking down exactly what you need to know about lab-grown meat and why it still won’t fit into a plant-based diet.
What is Lab-grown Meat?
Ok, so what even is it? It’s exactly as it sounds—meat that’s man-made in a lab. In order to make lab-grown meat, muscle samples must be obtained from the animal, and then stem cells are collected from the tissue. These cells are then multiplied in order to make the final “meat” products.
The whole theory behind this process is that companies that are pushing the idea of introducing lab-grown meats strongly believe that it could help support animal welfare, and help reduce environmental cost.
But, not so fast. There are many issues at play, and concerns that plant-based and even non plant-based eaters need to know about.
Why Lab-grown Meat Isn’t Such a Good Idea
While many companies in the lab-grown meat business may think that it could serve as a safer alternative with less environmental harm, many scientists believe that it may actually cost more.
Recent findings have shown that artificially grown beef could cause even more damaging greenhouse gas emissions than cattle.
Eating more lab-grown foods also takes us further away from eating the foods our bodies were designed to digest and metabolize. The more artificial junk we continue to eat, the higher our inflammatory load.
We want to be getting back to enjoying more wholesome plant-based foods like dark leafy greens, starchy veggies, nuts, seeds, legumes, and berries. Introducing more and more lab-grown food is taking a huge step backward when it comes to changing our health through proper nutrition.
Lab -Grown Meat Isn’t Vegan
One more very important thing to point out here is that lab-grown meat isn’t vegan. This has become a topic of confusion. However, it’s important to know that they definitely aren’t plant-based as they still contain animal products.
They also require the use of animals as scientists would need to continue to take cells from animals in order to keep up with the production of lab-grown meat products.
Stick to Wholesome Plant-based Foods Instead
The bottom line here is that no matter how creative researchers and scientists get when it comes to producing foods in a lab, there’s nothing better than fueling the body with wholesome, and nutrient-dense foods the body can thrive on.
Ditch the idea of lab-grown meat, as not only is it not plant-based, but we still don’t know if it’s safe.
So, stick to what we know. What we know is that plant-based diets are continuously found to help fend off inflammation and ward off disease. We simply can’t deny the power of plants, so keep eating those, and steer clear of the man-made foods our bodies simply weren’t designed to eat.
