The perception of red meat consumption as masculine is heavily entrenched in Western culture, not unlike a weighty steel fork jabbed through a grizzled slab of tough, bloody steak. But new evidence suggests this association may originate more with monkeys and marketing than any real boost to manhood.

The role of nutritional need in motivating our dietary choices seems, at times, a vestigial remnant of earlier times. Whatever remains of this guiding principle is regularly drowned out by much louder influences: convenience, the aesthetics of packaging, or the appeal of a particular spokesperson. Even taste, texture, tradition and access to food can play a secondary role to the siren song of the Cocoa Puffs bird, or a Coca-Cola swilling Paris Hilton. The socio-cultural influences on diet choice – crafted, molded and amplified by marketing buzz and self-perpetuating social norms – elevate the qualities of some foods to a near-mythical status in the consumer mind. Paramount among these gastronomic legends are associations between red meat consumption and masculinity.

“Vegetables are for girls… If your instincts tell you a vegetarian diet isn’t manly, you’re right.” (Men’s Health, 2000)

Perceptions of meat-as-maleness have a powerful evolutionary legacy that traces back to our earliest ancestors. In human and primate societies where males acquire meat as a primary source of protein and calories, control over this valued resource can evolve (devolve?) into an issue of sex and politics: “When the two sexes are involved in the power struggle, the physically dominant sex often controls a resource and therefore controls female reproduction as well.” (Craig Stanford, 2001. The Hunting Apes: Meat Eating and the Origins of Human Behavior)

Reducing meat to revenue for sex would disserve the complex web of biological, historical and cultural forces that shape modern social norms (further, offerings of ground beef are unlikely to invite copulation in today’s world). That said, the role of meat as social currency among early humanoids illustrates the prevailing effects of our evolutionary history – and challenges us to reevaluate our current perceptions of meat consumption through a more enlightened lens.

Monkeys and marketing aside, researchers have begun to elucidate the measurable effects of meat consumption on the qualities typically associated with maleness. One recent study suggests consumption of meat products and high-fat dairy products may be associated with lower sperm count, reduced sperm motility and abnormal sperm. Among similar findings, increased maternal beef consumption may inhibit sexual development in young males, reducing sperm concentrations in later adulthood. Both studies acknowledge the possible adverse effects of added growth hormones in food animals, suggesting antibiotic-free meats such as pastured livestock may not have the same effects on semen quality. Furthermore, pastured animal products may have significant health benefits compared to their industrially-produced counterparts.

Prior studies have linked increased meat consumption – particularly red meat – to obesity and diabetes, cancer, cardiovascular disease and increased mortality. The high saturated fat content of some meats can raise total cholesterol, increasing the risk of erectile dysfunction. Although definitions of maleness vary by culture, obesity, disease, impotence and a shorter lifespan are hardly the qualities attributed to our icons of masculinity. It is important to acknowledge that these studies are generally conducted in the U.S., one of the top per-capita meat consumers in the world. Given the high nutritional content of meat, moderate meat consumption – particularly pasture-raised meat – may have health benefits for some individuals.

Beyond individual vitality, definitions of masculinity often extend outward to encompass a man’s interactions with his surroundings. Heroes of legend became legendary not for their inherent qualities, but for how they chose to apply their gifts in protecting others. Considering the adverse impacts of industrial food animal production to the environment, public health and animal welfare, the “manliness” of supporting harmful industry practices is brought into question.

Though it may require an uncomfortable re-evaluation of long held beliefs, in the face of current knowledge, men are challenged to redefine their ideals of masculinity. The behavior of our primate ancestry and the drone of the marketing machine have no place in decisions that impact personal and global health. With these outdated and unreliable modes of valuation cast aside, the true nutritional and ethical value of our food choices can come to light.

- Brent Kim