What eating too much meat can do to your body, from dehydration to the 'meat sweats' (2024)

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You might get the "meat sweats."

If you've ever sat down to a heaping helping of meat, you may have noticed a phenomenon known as the "meat sweats" — midway through or shoyrly after a large meaty meal, you begin to perspire profusely.

Although the meat sweats haven't been specifically studied, the mechanism behind them is well-known. When you eat, your body has to exert some energy into digesting and processing that food. This is called diet-induced thermogenesis, and can actually raise your body temperature slightly.

Since protein is the most energy-intensive to digest, it can have a bigger effect on thermogenesis than, say, a plate of spaghetti or a salad. So, that huge steak could actually heat you up and cause you to sweat more as a result.

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You might feel tired, especially after a big meal.

All the energy needed to digest a meat-heavy meal could have the added symptom of making you feel sluggish, foggy, or downright sleepy after eating.

As you work to digest, your body moves blood flow to your gut to help prioritize that process, which means diverting it from other areas of the body, including your brain. That accounts for the grogginess that sometimes follows a large meal.

However, this can be true also be true of unbalanced meals that are too high in carbs or fat, since they can cause insulin and blood sugar levels to spike, so your best bet for sustained energy is including a good mix of all three macronutrients.

In addition, some types of meat like beef and turkey are high in tryptophan, an amino acid associated with production of melatonin, a human hormone that regulates sleep.

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Your digestion might suffer from a lack of fiber.

One consequence of eating too much meat is that you're likely eating fewer other foods, including whole grains and fresh produce. As a result, you might find yourself feeling bloated, or suffering from either constipation or diarrhea, from poor digestion.

Meat contains many nutrients, but an important one it's missing is fiber, an indigestible form of carbohydrate that's crucial for digestion and blood sugar regulation. Without it, you can experience serious gastrointestinal distress, including cramps and worse, as Joe Rogan found out on the all-meat diet.

A diet high in fiber has been linked to better digestive and overall health — researchers believe this is because the fiber provides a good food source for beneficial bacteria in the gut, resulting in metabolic benefits.

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You might be dehydrated from processing all that protein.

Another side effect of the all the protein in a meat-rich diet is that it can take a lot of your body's water to process it, leaving you dehydrated.

Although protein is crucial for health, including muscle building and repair, people tend to think they need more than they actually do.

The official recommendation for protein is only about 0.36 grams per pound of body weight for most sedentary people, and even athletes don't need more than about a gram per pound of body weight each day.

Anything more than that, and your body will use more fluids to flush out the excess nitrogen, according to research. If you don't drink enough water to compensate, you may end up feeling faint, light-headed, or otherwise unpleasant.

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If you're trying to lose weight, too much meat could slow your progress.

It's true that high-protein diets can help with weight loss goals by helping you stay full longer after your meal, and providing a slight advantage to calorie burning because of thermogenesis (see previous slide).

But if that includes animal protein, it's important to be aware that certain types of meat can be extremely calorie-dense, meaning they pack more calories per bite than other foods (like veggies, for instance).

Those with the most calories include fattier cuts of meat and processed products like restaurant hamburgers, bacon, ham, and sausage.

So if you are trying to lose weight, opt for lean cuts of beef and poultry, or fish, all of which tend to have fewer calories per serving.

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You could increase your risk of diseases like certain cancers and cardiovascular illness.

Studies have consistently linked higher consumption of red and processed meat to increased risk of certain cancers, as well as cardiovascular disease.

Processed meats like ham, bacon, sausage, and hot dogs are particularly culpable due to the fact that most of them are treated with chemical preservatives called nitrates. These chemicals have been found to be associated with higher risk of colon, kidney, and stomach cancer.

Recent research has questioned the epidemiological studies linking meat to health risks, suggesting that perhaps it's less risky that we thought. However, the lead author of that study was found to have received funding from the beef industry, and most mainstream medical experts and nutritionists continue to recommend eating meat in moderation to minimize risk of chronic illness.

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