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Food

A Spit Test Could Help to Reveal Why Men Think Meat Is Macho

University of Hawaii researcher Atilla Pohlmann and others argue that the gender-food link, where men eat meat and women eat vegetables, can cause problems for men when configuring their diets.
Photo via Flickr user anotherpintplease

Since time immemorial, "manly men" have eaten meat. Turn to historical exhibit number one, The Flinstones, and see Fred and Barney eating dino steaks the size of Volkswagons. Or, today, visit a steakhouse, and witness tables of wealthy, powerful men eating bone-in rib-eyes and tomahawks larger than any person could hope to consume in one seating.

Though it may be a tired trope, science suggests that many still associate meat with masculinity and find vegetarianism to be a "feminine" lifestyle—and this is in an era when we know that eating red and processed meat is associated with health risks like heart disease, cancer and more, not to mention the immense toll meat production places on the environment. But research has shown, somewhat incredibly, that many men will choose to eat meat despite the health consequences in order to avoid risking association with the "feminine attributes of a vegetarian diet." Other studies have found that there is a strong metaphorical link between meat and manliness. And we already know that men stuff their faces when they eat around women.

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Now, new research aims to shed more light on the chemical processes firing in your man-brain when you order that 32-ounce porterhouse. One researcher has undertaken a study to understand this meat anxiety, and will use a saliva test to measure testosterone and stress response (cortisol) to understand how men respond psychologically to eating meat-centric and vegetarian meals.

READ: Why Men Are Afraid of Going Vegan

Atilla Pohlmann of the University of Hawaii at Mānoa is a vegetarian himself, but in his research, he has looked at the social and biological constructs around meat. He raised money to conduct the saliva study on Experiment.com, a sort of Kickstarter for scientific research. His project, which was successfully funded, was titled "Meat! Can manhood stomach the punch of the vegetarian alternative?"

"I stumbled into a meatless diet by complete accident without having pondered any moral reasons or health benefits beforehand," Pohlmann wrote in a statement accompanying the campaign. "Perhaps because I was clueless, I was so intrigued by other people's unexpectedly strong reactions to my dietary situation. I tried to make sense out of the complex social dynamics and conversations that would revolve around meals taken together with omnivorous friends or family."

Pohlmann and others argue that the gender-food link, where men eat meat and women eat vegetables (think Just Salad), can cause problems for men when configuring their diets. Men may eat unhealthily rather than risk a bruise to their machismo. Understanding what goes on chemically when a man eats meat or a vegetarian option could help men choose healthier foods.

Perhaps those who fear ordering a meatless meal should look no further than professional vegetarian athletes Joe Namith, Hank Aaron, Prince Fielder, or Carl Lewis to do away with worries that they might appear less than an Übermensch if they don't go with a dead animal option.

WATCH: The Vegan Ironman Diet of Cro-Mags' John Joseph

But hey, steak is delicious, and there's certainly a time and a place. Perhaps eating meat need not involve the ego, but on the other hand, maybe that's how men are physiologically wired. Pohlmann hopes to learn more about it, and maybe help you make healthier eating choices without stressing over the social repercussions.

Eating less red meat would also benefit the environment. But ultimately, the question might be whether you've got the guts to order a vegetarian dish.