For decades, red meat and saturated fat have been cast as the villains of modern nutrition. The mainstream told us to swap steak for soy and butter for canola, all in the name of health. But here’s the twist: the cultures that didn’t follow that advice are thriving.
Let’s look at the real-world data.
Hong Kong consumes more meat per capita than any other place on Earth—and boasts the world’s longest life expectancy. Meanwhile, France, the land of triple cream cheese and duck confit, eats more saturated fat than any other country in Europe and has the lowest rates of heart disease.
That’s not a paradox. That’s a clue.
1. When High Meat Meets High Longevity
We’ve been told red meat shortens your life, clogs your arteries, and leads to disease. But people in Hong Kong and France clearly didn’t get that memo. They enjoy rich, fatty, animal-based diets—and live long, vibrant lives.
Hong Kong’s diet is heavy in pork, beef, and seafood, with a cultural emphasis on nutrient-dense soups, bone broths, and organ meats. In France, butter, pâté, and creamy cheeses are dietary staples. If saturated fat truly caused heart disease, France should be in crisis—not leading the charts in cardiovascular health.
Clearly, meat and fat aren’t the problem.
2. Nature Gives You Clues
Here’s a fun little test: place margarine, low-fat margarine, and real butter in a dish outside. Wait.
Guess what happens? The ants swarm the butter. The real thing.
Nature always knows.
Butter contains vital fat-soluble nutrients, and our biology (and even bug biology) is hardwired to seek out real food. Margarine, on the other hand, is a lab experiment—and even insects know it doesn’t belong in nature. If the ants won’t eat it, maybe you shouldn’t either.
3. “You Seem Happier…”
"Are you taking something?"
Yeah—meat.
If steak came in a pill box, it would be prescribed as a first-line treatment for low energy, irritability, and fatigue. A juicy ribeye is nature’s antidepressant. Packed with nutrients that your brain actually needs, meat helps regulate mood and mental sharpness far better than any processed snack ever could.
4. Meat Boosts Mood (B12 & Serotonin)
Vitamin B12 is only found naturally in animal products. Without enough of it, serotonin production—the neurotransmitter that keeps us happy and balanced—plummets. Low B12 = low serotonin = low mood.
The body can’t create serotonin efficiently without B12, and deficiency is shockingly common among plant-based eaters. Symptoms include fatigue, depression, irritability, and even memory issues.
Want to boost your mood naturally? Grill a steak.
5. Meat Relieves Stress (Cholesterol & Hormones)
The war on cholesterol may have been the worst public health campaign in modern history.
Here’s why: cholesterol is the raw material your body uses to make hormones—especially the stress-regulating ones like cortisol and the feel-good ones like estrogen, progesterone, and testosterone.
When you’re running low on cholesterol, your hormone production tanks. You feel frazzled, moody, and overwhelmed. Animal fats give your body what it needs to build resilience—not just physically, but mentally.
6. The Prisoner Study No One Talks About
A fascinating study in Finnish prisons found a startling pattern: inmates with low cholesterol levels had significantly higher rates of antisocial behavior and violence.
While correlation isn’t causation, it’s a compelling signal. Low cholesterol impairs serotonin receptor function, affecting impulse control and mood. The body and brain need cholesterol to function—especially the parts of the brain responsible for empathy, patience, and emotional regulation.
Meat may do more for society than we think.
7. Meat Relieves Anxiety (Organ Meats & Heme Iron)
Anxiety isn’t just “in your head”—it’s often biochemical.
One of the most common contributors to chronic anxiety is iron deficiency—especially in its most bioavailable form: heme iron from red meat and organ meats.
Organ meats are also rich in B vitamins, selenium, and copper, which play vital roles in neurotransmitter balance. Liver is the OG multivitamin. When anxiety hits, it might not be a therapist you need—it might be more iron-rich steak or liver pâté.
8. Meat Fuels the Brain (Zinc, Testosterone, Progesterone)
The brain isn’t powered by kale.
It runs on cholesterol, zinc, amino acids, and saturated fat—all abundantly found in red meat.
Zinc is crucial for mental clarity, testosterone fuels motivation and drive, and progesterone has calming, anti-anxiety effects. All of these rely on eating the very foods we’ve been told to avoid.
If you want sharp focus, stable emotions, and a brain that hums like a high-performance engine—meat isn’t optional. It’s essential.
9. Change My Mind: Meat Is the World’s #1 Superfood
Forget acai bowls and spirulina smoothies.
Meat is the world’s true superfood.
It’s nutrient-dense, bioavailable, time-tested, and evolution-approved. And cholesterol? It’s not the villain—it’s the foundation of your hormones, your brain, and your vitality.
The science is clear. The real-world results speak for themselves.
We don’t need less red meat—we need more.
Meat built us. Meat heals us.
And yes—meat makes you feel really good.
References:
- Woo, Jean, et al. “Nutrition and Health in an Ageing Population: Hong Kong as a Case Study.” Asia Pacific Journal of Clinical Nutrition, vol. 24, no. 4, 2015, pp. 582–589.
- Keys, Ancel. “Seven Countries: A Multivariate Analysis of Death and Coronary Heart Disease.” Harvard University Press, 1980.
- Elias, Merrill, et al. “Serum Cholesterol and Cognitive Performance in a Population-Based Sample of Community-Dwelling Older Adults.” Psychosomatic Medicine, vol. 67, no. 1, 2005, pp. 24–30.
- Tiihonen, Jari, et al. “Low Serum Cholesterol and Violent Criminality Among Finnish Male Prisoners.” Psychiatry Research, vol. 103, no. 3, 2001, pp. 261–267.
- Parker, Gordon B., et al. “Low Serum Cholesterol and Suicide.” The American Journal of Psychiatry, vol. 152, no. 4, 1995, pp. 579–585.
- Haas, Elson M., and Buck Levin. Staying Healthy with Nutrition: The Complete Guide to Diet and Nutritional Medicine. Celestial Arts, 2006.
- McLean, E., et al. “Worldwide Prevalence of Anaemia, WHO Global Database on Anaemia.” World Health Organization, 2008.
- Rink, Lothar, and Philip Gabriel. “Zinc and the Immune System.” Nutrition Reviews, vol. 58, no. 1, 2000, pp. 30–32.
Want a superfood in your pocket? Grab a Carnivore Bar—meat, fat, salt. Nothing more. Nothing fake. Just real fuel for a better brain, better body, and longer life.