"The idea is spreading that meat can be replaced by some vegetables in our diet without compromising nutritional intake, or even improving it. However, this belief is wrong and risks compromising our well-being, as well as generating unexpected negative consequences on the economic and social fabric". This is what Prof. Pietro Paganini , geopolitical analyst and professor at John Cabot in Rome, as well as founder of the think tank Competere, wrote about the progressive elimination of meat in the Mediterranean diet.

"The debate on replacing animal proteins with vegetable proteins is increasingly heated - he continued - , often fueled by ideological positions that find the support of important economic interests and lobbies and that, surprisingly, have also received the understanding of the European institutions. This phenomenon generates emulation - explains Paganini - pushing many people to abandon meat consumption without carefully evaluating the consequences, both for individual health and for the economic and social fabric. Vegetable proteins, although having a complementary role, cannot guarantee a complete and balanced diet by themselves. Thanks to its unique composition, meat is essential for human health and vitality. Unlike an omnivorous diet in fact - he continues - a diet exclusively based on vegetable proteins can lead to significant nutritional deficiencies with repercussions on health, such as fatigue, loss of muscle mass, compromised immune system, difficulty in growth and cell repair".

According to Paganini, "if we humans have come this far it is also thanks to meat, which has represented a crucial turning point in our evolution. The regular introduction of meat into the diet has contributed significantly to progress, responding to the growing energy demands of social and cognitive life. However, meat consumption - Paganini specifies - must occur in moderation and with attention to quality. Recent studies confirm that moderate meat consumption, within a balanced diet, is not related to a significant increase in the risk of chronic diseases, thus dispelling many prejudices. Meat represents an irreplaceable source of essential nutrients for the correct development and maintenance of the human body, and a balanced diet that consciously includes animal proteins is not just a food choice, but a pillar for living a long and healthy life. Giving up this food, often to follow ideological beliefs or current trends, means ignoring the crucial role that its nutrients play and risking incurring unpleasant consequences for health. While considering the importance of reducing environmental impact and supporting responsible production practices, promoting an indiscriminate replacement of animal proteins with vegetable ones compromises the quality of the diet and public health: food decisions should be guided by scientific evidence and not by emotional instances and ideological simplifications" concluded Paganini.