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There are many náboženství that specifically prohibit the consumption of pork, meat that is considered unclean. Is there a reason for that? Is there something more to this religious teaching that we should all know?
Science now suggests that there are some very practical reasons why people would be wise to avoid pork.
Pigs are by nature scavengers, which means they will eat almost anything, including rotting food, feces, urine, carcasses and even cancerous growths.
Unfortunately, their digestive system is not able to effectively eliminate these accumulated toxins from their bodies, because a pig completely digests its food in about four hours.
And that simply isn’t enough time to get rid of excess ingested toxins, which means these toxins are then stored directly in the pig’s fat cells and organs.
You know the saying, “To sweat like a pig”?
The irony is that pigs don’t have sweat glands, which means they cannot remove excess toxins by sweating (as we humans do).
By nature these two factors make pork more toxic for consumption and in our current environment we really don’t need to expose our bodies to additional toxins unnecessarily.
According to a survey by Consumer Reports, 69% of all tested samples of raw pork (from about 200 samples) were contaminated with a dangerous bacterium known as Yersinia enterocolitica. This bacterium can cause fever, gastrointestinal illness, diarrhea, vomiting and cramps.
Ground pork had a higher likelihood of contamination than cutlets, and it also tested positive for other contaminating substances, including the controversial growth promoter called Ractopamine, which is banned in China and Europe.
Many of the bacteria found in pork were actually resistant to many antibiotics, which means that when you get sick, treatment will be difficult.
The report further states:
“In 3 to 7% of samples we found salmonella, Staphylococcus aureus or Listeria monocytogenes, more common causes of foodborne illness. And 11% hosted enterococci, which may indicate fecal contamination and cause problems such as urinary tract infections.”
Pigs are hosts to a whole range of parasites and other organisms and many of them can be transmitted directly to humans.
These include, for example:
Taenia solium (tapeworm) – an intestinal parasite that can cause tissue infection and loss of appetite
Menangle virus – a virus that can cause fever, goosebumps, rashes, headaches and sweating
Trichinella (roundworm) – a parasitic nematode that can cause edema, muscle pain (myalgia), fever and restlessness
Hepatitis E – a viral inflammation that can cause fatigue, stomach nausea and jaundice. More severe cases can lead to liver fibrosis and cirrhosis
Although studies suggest that if you cook pork thoroughly you can reduce the risk from these parasites that adversely affect you, when it comes to safety, there is no guaranteed temperature for pork.
Safety guidelines for consuming pork
If you still decide to continue consuming pork, follow the following guidelines to increase safety:
As stated on the Consumer Reports page:
1. When cooking pork, use a meat thermometer to ensure it has reached the internal temperature necessary to kill potentially harmful bacteria: at least 63⁰ C for whole cuts and 71⁰ C for ground meat.
2. Store raw pork and its juices separate from other foods, especially those eaten raw, such as salad.
3. Wash your hands thoroughly after handling raw meat.
4. Choose pork and other meat products from animals that were raised without drugs. You can do this by buying certified organic pork, from pigs raised without antibiotics or Ractopamine.
5. Look for clear statements about antibiotic use. Meat labeled “No antibiotics used” by the appropriate government food-quality agency is more reliable than unlabeled meat. Labels like “Approved animal care” and “Fit for human consumption” suggest cautious use of antibiotics to treat illness.
6. Beware of misleading labels. The label “Natural” has nothing to do with antibiotic use, nor with the conditions in which the animal was raised.
And what about organic pork from free-range farms?
Although this pork will obviously be much better for your consumption, it can be hard to find and still carries some health risks.
Free-range pigs are very susceptible to infection with Trichinella spiralis, also known as “pork worm.” Trichinella is one of the most widespread parasites worldwide and although it can be killed by cooking, one must follow exact guidelines to be sure the meat is thoroughly cooked.
People say pork can be “healthy,” but that depends entirely on how the animal was raised. Most of the pork we consume is not, in all cases, from animals raised outdoors.
According to Dr. Joseph Mercola:
“This applies to most industrially raised pigs. I am convinced that there is sufficient scientific evidence justifying reservations about pork consumption or its outright prohibition in many cultures.
Almost all pigs come from factory farms. These inhumane environments are typically incubators of toxic pathogens.
These animals spend their short, miserable lives on concrete and steel grates. Antibiotics are added heavily to their feed, which makes the massive waste of them even more toxic.
For this reason you can smell the stench of factory pig farms before you see them. With farming systems like those of Joel Salatin, you wouldn’t even smell the pigs; these animals are raised humanely and organically, in symbiosis with the land.
Unfortunately, factory pig farming is the standard today. Pork from factory farms is the only option available to many of us.
That is why my nutrition plan recommends avoiding pork whenever possible, unless you are sure the animals were raised as shown in the video. I admit that occasional pork consumption may be okay, but it is a risk, and the more you eat it, the more likely you are to eventually get some kind of infection.”
If urgent health concerns are not enough…
The sad fact is that 97% of all pigs are raised in factory farms. That means these pigs never run on green grass, breathe fresh air, or play in the sun.
They are penned and packed into huge confined stalls and fed a diet consisting largely of drugs and antibiotics to keep them alive and promote rapid growth.
Pigs are very intelligent creatures, smarter than most dogs and even smarter than your average three-year-old child. Pigs can form complex social networks and also have excellent memories.
If pigs were given the space they need, they wouldn’t foul the places where they sleep and eat. In factory farms, however, they have no choice but to live in their own feces, urine and vomit. For this reason many pigs (about ¼) suffer from mange, an extremely itchy, painful rash.
Because of these living conditions they are also forced to inhale toxic gases like ammonia, released from their urine and excrement. This gas irritates their lungs to the extent that more than 80% of pigs raised in factory farms have pneumonia at the time of slaughter.
The list of horrors these animals are forced to endure in factory farms is endless. What we have mentioned here is just the tip of what actually happens behind closed doors.
What can we do?
If you insist on consuming pork, do so very rarely and, if possible, make sure the animal was raised without antibiotics, hormones and other chemicals, that it lived on pasture and was fed a healthy diet.
You have the right to choose, so choose wisely. The decision about what you put on your fork is made every single day!
