Depending on who you ask, MREs are either an incredibly convenient and long-lasting food source whenever you’re out in the sector, or something that sprang from the devil’s own canteen.
Opinion is normally divided on whether or not someone has served within the military and been subjected to them!
But love them or hate them, there is no denying that MREs definitely have a job to play in your survival food supply.
However, it has been alleged that MREs may cause serious problems when consumed recurrently over an extended time period. Is it true? Are MREs Healthy When Consumed Regularly?
MREs are usually not healthy when consumed recurrently for several weeks. MREs may cause severe constipation, a change in gut flora, and a large increase in sodium intake. MRE ought to be eaten sparingly when there are not any other options.
Hardly anything lasts longer or lasts longer while being immediately able to eat than MRE. Despite all of the fuss around them, I actually like MRE for what they’re and I do not mind eating them.
There is nothing more convenient for me than tossing one or two in my backpack and heading out.
However, I’ve never needed to live to tell the tale them really long run, and talking to individuals who have it is just not an experience they would want on anyone.
Read on and I’ll inform you every part you’ll want to learn about consuming MREs regularly.
Is MRE real food?
Yes, MRE is real food, or not less than in keeping with the common definition, it’s real food.
While critics and haters will swear they’re made from vat-grown proteins, various harmful chemicals, and all styles of other nasty stuff, the reality is MRE is real food, although the food is stuffed with preservatives, highly processed, and industrially produced for max durability and stability.
If your definition of “food” is any product that is totally pure, freed from chemicals and preservatives, healthy and nutritionally balanced, then MREs may not meet your definition.
However, MRE is food that has been designed and proven to be as stable and sturdy as possible when delivered to the sector in harsh conditions and extreme temperatures.
When it involves safety and nominal edibility under these conditions, MREs are the most effective.
What is the dietary value of MRE?
Believe it or not, where MRE’s dietary value ought to be, there’s just not an enormous query mark. We actually know exactly what they contain based on military product specifications.
MREs are full of calories, protein, carbs, fats, vitamins and minerals that may keep hardworking bodies going through tough times. They also contain tons of salt.
While the calorie content of MREs varies depending on the precise brand and menu, they typically contain between 1,200 and 1,350 calories per meal.
In combat conditions or simply working hard within the military theater of operations, members of the military will burn calories and want constant replenishment.
MREs are designed to do exactly that, and just three MREs a day are said to contain absolutely every part a soldier needs for this purpose.
Don’t MREs contain plenty of salt?
Yes, they do. Whole, whole batch: the common MRE will contain between 1900mg and 2600mg of salt, which is per pack, minus the salt that’s within the spice pack. That’s a ton!
But however, the military also recommends soldiers eat 2 to three times as much while working hard to make up for mineral losses attributable to sweat.
It’s value remembering. If you are not working as hard as the common soldier, the salt content of the MRE will make you terribly thirsty and might have a positive effect in your blood pressure.
Overtime may result in other negative health effects. More on that in a minute.
What are a number of the problems with consuming too many MREs?
Before we get into this topic, we should always make clear something.
The Department of Defense has prior to now subjected some hapless soldiers, used as guinea pigs, to a study where they stayed forced volunteered to eat MRE each day for a period of 30 days.
Reportedly, at the tip of the month-long trial, the soldiers were kind of healthy, the Department of Defense said. Seemingly, MREs are protected when consumed over an extended time period.
However, countless anecdotes and even a number of independent ones scientific studies conducted on this topic forged doubt on the long-term effectiveness of MRE.
Ask any current or former military member who has been on a everlasting MRE food regimen, within the US or abroad, and they’re going to likely inform you that they’ve struggled with severe constipation or alternating terrible diarrhea, hypertension, headaches, and other issues.
As mentioned, there have been several studies, comparable to the one linked above, on the long-term safety of MREs and what was discovered was very concerning: MREs can actually start changing the health and composition of the gut flora within the gut, not for the higher .
This can result in nutrient absorption problems, leaky gut syndrome, and more.
This doesn’t mean that it is best to not eat MREs or that they are usually not protected in any respect, but also they are not complete and completely nutritious foods that ought to be a daily a part of your food regimen.
Are all MRE menus the identical in the case of negative effects?
Yes, not less than for typical highly processed, packaged MREs. Though MRE menu have modified lots through the years (and even to at the present time), there’s one thing all of them have in common: they’re absolutely filled with preservatives and highly processed.
As such, there is no such thing as a option that is healthier or safer on your long-term health.
As far as I do know, there is no such thing as a menu selection or combination of selections that may spare you the gastrointestinal problems that sometimes result from eating too many MREs for too long.
Yes, some MREs are vegetarian. Yes, some selections have fewer ingredients or are generally similar. But all of them may cause problems over time.
Can you survive on an MRE in the long run?
Is it possible to survive on MRE in the long run? Yes. do you have to? No, not if you will have other food options.
MREs may also help keep you alive and even prosper in short-term circumstances.
They are full of macro and micronutrients, are manufactured in such a way that they’re unlikely to interrupt down with even just a little care, and besides, they’ll provide short and long run energy so you possibly can get the job done irrespective of what your job is in these circumstances.
But should you are forced to live solely on MRE, the negative consequences will quickly set in, and this could result in potentially serious health problems.
Many soldiers have reported being constipated so severely from the constant MRE food regimen that they’ve not felt a bowel movement for weeks. This can potentially be life threatening!
Keep the MREs to be used whenever you’re actually out in the sector and want food that is convenient and straightforward to move without spoiling, or use them as extra food to replenish at home.
Don’t buy should you can avoid it, just an MRE on your survival pantry.
