1. Vitamin B12

There are certain vitamins that you can only get from animal products, including meat. The most important is vitamin B12. Eliminating meat from your meal plan increases the risk of a deficiency. If you decide to forgo meat, you’ll need to talk to your doctor about a supplement to fill the gaps.

2. Heart Health

Clearly, not all cuts of meat are going to be heart healthy choices. You want to stay away from fatty cuts and opt instead for lean portions. That includes chicken breast, fish and sirloin steaks. Grass fed beef and salmon are especially good choices as they contain omega-3 fatty acids, which are good for your heart. Include moderate portions of each for the most benefits.

3. Builds Muscle

You can build muscle on a meat-free diet, but experts say that it is much harder. Protein is abundant in meat, as is iron, both of which are needed to pump your muscles with oxygen and build them larger and stronger. In fact, many people ramp up their protein intake as a way to get bigger faster. A protein deficiency isn’t super common, but is more likely in people who don’t eat meat.

4. Helps Control Weight

Before you get too excited, simply adding meat to your diet is not going to have a big impact on your weight. However, adding it as part of a low-calorie and well-balanced diet can assist you in dropping stubborn pounds. Lean meats are filling so you won’t feel hungry soon after eating them and they have loads of nutrients you need for health. Plus, if you replace refined carbs and junk food with healthy pieces of meat, you’re already making a healthy choice.

5. It Doesn’t Cause Cancer

Some research has linked eating meat to getting cancer, which scared a large number of people away from the meat counter. However, new evidence shows that the cancer risk has more to do with the way meat is cooked than the actual meat itself. For example, when meat is grilled, the black grill marks may contain carcinogens. However, cooking meat in a safe way far outweighs the potential negatives of eating meat. However, processed meats can be dangerous, so stick to fresh options instead.

6. It Boosts Health

Meat has a plethora of nutrients, including copper, zinc, B vitamins and many others that contribute to good overall health. As long as you are blending meat into a healthy meal plan, you can reap the benefits without worry about the negatives. That means you can’t eat meat only, but should include it with fruits, vegetables, whole grains and low-fat dairy foods. Easy enough, right?

7. It Tastes Good

Really, what better reason do you need? I save steak as an indulgence food, but it sure tastes wonderful when I have one. Grilled salmon or a seasoned chicken breast are also delicious. If you love meat and don’t have a health reason to avoid it, there is no reason not to enjoy.

Do you eat meat? Why or why not?