Jesus did not instruct his followers to value their health above all other concerns, but Paul understood that we should take care of our bodies, as gifts from God and as vessels of the Holy Spirit in all of us. Modern animal agriculture produces particularly unhealthy foods, and our bodies are particularly ill-suited to manage the huge quantities of meat many people consume, such as three servings a day. Because crowding and stressful manipulations weaken animals' immune systems and predispose them to infections, the food industry gives nonhuman animals feed laced with antibiotics, including penicillin and erythromycin. With long gastrointestinal systems, meat's harmful by-products are poorly eliminated. Also, Americans currently consume insufficient dietary fiber, which is vital to intestinal health.
Flesh contains no fiber.
Consequently, people in flesh-eating cultures have high rates of colon cancer, as well as diverticulitis and hemorrhoids. Flesh consumption also strongly correlates with other cancers, coronary artery disease, and other conditions. Many Americans have elevated cholesterol levels directly related to their consumption of flesh, eggs, and dairy products. Only animal-derived foods contain cholesterol. If you become a pure vegetarian, you reduce your cholesterol intake to zero.