New Scientist article New Science article article New York (AFP) – Meatless diets have been gaining ground in some parts of the world, especially in parts of Asia, where some meat-eaters are turning to alternatives such as vegan or vegetarian diets.

The popularity of meatless, or vegan, diets has been growing fast in the past few years, as people look for new ways to meet their protein needs and reduce their meat intake.

But as the demand for meat increases, many are finding themselves at a disadvantage because they lack the right meat, said David Goldfarb, a researcher at the University of Edinburgh.

“In many places, particularly in Asia, there are people who have found it hard to cut down on meat and are seeking alternatives,” he told AFP.

“There is a real lack of choice.

It’s not easy to find a good meat substitute that will work for most people.”

The number of people in the US and UK who say they eat meat at least 50 percent of their time rose from 1.4 million in 2012 to 1.6 million last year.

The figure in Australia, which is a big meat-eating country, was 1.2 million.

In the UK, the number of meat-free dieters rose from 8 percent of the population in 2012 – more than half the population – to 13 percent last year, according to the most recent figures.

Australia’s meat-avoidance rates have also soared in recent years, driven by an increasing appetite for processed meat and an increased reliance on processed foods such as bacon and cheese.

Meat-free diets are often touted as a healthier way to eat, but there is growing evidence that it can be harmful.

In an article in the BMJ, researchers from the University, University of Queensland, and the University College London found that meat-containing products were significantly associated with higher blood pressure, stroke and death in people with type 2 diabetes.

“While we are at a critical stage of globalisation and social and economic changes, the future of the planet is uncertain,” lead author Dr Joanna L. Hutton said.

“Meat-containing foods are often promoted as healthier, but this is not necessarily the case and we need to look at other factors.”

The researchers said it was “critical” that researchers continue to look into the effects of the consumption of meat on the body.

The diet was not recommended for people with high blood pressure or heart disease, for example.

However, Dr Hutton told the Australian newspaper that meat and dairy products had been shown to be beneficial for many types of cancer, such as prostate and colon.

“These products may be associated with reduced risk of heart disease and other diseases,” she said.

Dr Goldfarbs research team found that people with a high protein intake tended to have lower blood pressure and a higher risk of strokes.

In their analysis, they found that high protein foods such, processed meat, eggs, processed dairy products and meat-based foods such were linked to a “higher risk of incident cardiovascular events, stroke, and death” among people with heart disease.

“The impact of dietary protein on cardiovascular disease is complex,” Dr Goldfars said.

“Our findings suggest that the most important variable for cardiovascular disease risk is the protein intake, which may also have an effect on the risk of other chronic diseases.”

However, our results also suggest that there is a dose-response relationship between the protein content and cardiovascular risk, with the highest protein intake associated with lower risk.

“However, the researchers warned that the findings were not definitive.”

It’s not possible to generalise from our findings to other diets that people may find better health benefits from,” they wrote.”

Further research is needed to better understand the role of protein intake in the cardiovascular disease burden.”- AAP