Meat and getting colds

[Daniel Olmstead]

Up until a few weeks ago, as a vegetarian, I very rarely fell sick. Maybe once a year or so.

When I started eating meat, I had a relatively smooth transition - no nausea or anything besides a couple days of mildly freaking out. However, since that time I have come down with a cold THREE times in a period of about two months.

What's up with that? My first thought is that there are pathogens or something in the meat that my immune system has not built up any tolerances for, and it should fix itself in time. I'm really HOPING that the meat-eating is not in some way lowering my immune defenses.

It's starting to piss me off. Of course, extreme irritability is how I react to illness, so just about everything is pissing me off right now.

Does anyone else have any experience or insight into this?

[Chris Forbis]

Where do you get your meat from?

[Garrett Smith]

When you are not sick, are you feeling better or worse now (eating meat) than when you were a vegetarian previously? Is your performance better or worse?

I tend to view minor colds as the immune system cleaning house, not necessarily as a weakness in the immune system. If you feel better overall now, then I'd go with this concept. If you feel worse, then either you need less meat or the stuff you're getting is subpar.

I have people come into my office and brag about not getting colds in 20 years...only to follow that statement with "this damn rheumatoid arthritis" or the fact that they have cancer, all major problems in the immune system.

Colds aren't bad, they're early stage cleanup. Better to have a cold than an immune system too weak to mount a "spring cleaning".

[Mike ODonnell]

I'm really HOPING that the meat-eating is not in some way lowering my immune defenses.

If that was the case this forum would be empty.....as we would of all died from the swine flu.

[Daniel Olmstead]

Thanks, all. Feeling better this morning.

I get my meat from Trader Joe's. I don't purchase red meat for myself, though I will eat it when served. My primary source of meat is Trader Joe's Organic Chicken, plus some turkey and tongol tuna.

Apart from the colds, my performance and general sense of well-being are both up, which is why I'm concerned about the colds - I don't want to give the meat up again!

So for now I'm going with Garrett's opinion. Sounds good to me. :D

[Garrett Smith]

The immune system is very much based in proteins, so your body may finally have the raw materials to get jobs done that were not getting done as well as they could before.

This should pass. Also make sure you are getting your Vit. D levels correct.