Pork – Harms and Dangers

 

In folklore terms, eating the meat of the pig is said to contribute to lack of morality and shame, plus greed for wealth, laziness, indulgence, dirtiness and gluttony. We insult a person by calling him or her a “Pig” when they demonstrate these characteristics. Muslims are forbidden by Allah to eat the meat of the pig (pork).

 

An exemplary verse of the Quran is quoted here:

 

“He has only forbidden you dead meat, and blood, and the flesh of swine, and any (food) over which the name of other than Allah has been invoked. But if one is forced by necessity, without willful disobedience, nor transgressing due limits, then Allah is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful.”

 

The Jews and Christians are also forbidden from eating pork. Here is a quote from the Old Testament,

 

“And the swine, because it divideth the hoof, yet cheweth not the cud, it is unclean unto you: ye shall not eat of their flesh, nor touch their dead carcase.” Deuteronomy 14:8

 

Why You Should Not Eat Pork

By Alanna Ketler

“You are what you eat” – Native American proverb

 

There are many religions that specifically forbid the consumption of pork. The meat is considered “unclean” and non-kosher. Is there a reason for this? Is there more to this religious teaching that we should all be aware of?

 

It seems as though the religions that condemn pork consumption are on to something, in fact there are many scientific claims to back this up.

 

Pigs are scavengers by nature, which means that they will eat almost anything, including rotten food, faeces, urine, carcasses and even cancerous growths. Unfortunately the digestive system of a pig is incapable of effectively removing these accumulated toxins from the body because a pig will digest its food entirely in about 4 hours. This is simply not long enough to remove the excess toxins that were ingested, these toxins are then stored directly in the fat cells and organs of the pig itself.

 

“Sweating like a pig” yet? Ironically enough, that statement isn’t true -pigs do not have sweat glands which means they are unable to remove excess toxins by sweating (like we do). So naturally this means that pork meat would be a much more toxic meat than others and when you consume it you would be taking in those toxins as well. With our current environments, we really don’t need to expose our bodies to even more toxins if we don’t have to.

 

According to an investigation by Consumer Reports, 69% of all raw pork samples tested (of about 200 samples) were contaminated with a dangerous bacteria known as Yersinia enteroclitica. This bacteria can cause fever, gastrointestinal illness, diarrhoea, vomiting and cramps.

 

Ground pork was more likely to be contaminated than pork chops. This pork also tested positive for other contaminants including a controversial drug called ractopamine, which is banned China and Europe. Many of the bacteria that were found in the pork were actually resistant to multiple antibiotics, which makes treatment problematic and potentially lethal if you were to get sick.

 

According to the report:

 

“We found salmonella, staphylococcus aureus, or listeria monocytogenes, more common causes of foodborne illness, in 3 to 7 percent of samples. And 11 percent harbored enterococcus, which can indicate faecal contamination and can cause problems such as urinary tract-infections.”

 

Pigs are a host to a number of parasites, viruses and other organisms, many of which can be directly transmitted to humans, some include:

 

Taenia solium – an intestinal parasite that can cause tissue infection and loss of appetite.

 

Menangle virus – a virus that can cause fever, chills, rashes, headaches and sweating.

 

Trichinella – a parasitic roundworm that can cause edema, myalgia, fever and malaise.

 

Hepatitis E – a viral inflammation that can cause fatigue, nausea and jaundice. More severe cases can lead to liver fibrosis and cirrhosis.

 

The study does indicate that if you were to cook the pork properly you can reduce the risk of these parasites affecting you, but there is no guaranteed temperature for safety when it comes to pork.

 

What About Organic Pasture Raised Pork?

 

While this pork is obviously going to be much better for you to consume, it is very hard to find, and still poses certain health concerns. Pasture raised pork is very susceptible to Trichinella spiralis infection, also known as the “pork worm.” Trichinella is one of the most widespread parasites in the whole world, it has the potential to cause some very serious health concerns. Trichinella can be killed in the cooking process but one has to follow guidelines closely to make sure the meat is cooked through.

 

Most, if not all of the pork most of us consume, is factory farmed. According to research by Dr Mercola: “So for most all industrially raised pork, I believe there is enough scientific evidence to justify the reservations or outright prohibitions in many cultures against consuming it. Nearly all pigs raised in the U.S. come from Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations, or CAFO’s. These inhumane environments are typically toxic breeding grounds for pathogens.

 

These animals spend their short, miserable lives on concrete and steel grates. Antibiotics are given liberally with their feed, making their massive waste even more toxic.

 

This is why you can smell a CAFO swine operation miles before you see it. At an operation like Joel Salatin’s, you couldn’t smell any sign of pigs. These pigs were raised humanely and organically, where both animal and land are managed symbiotically.

 

Unfortunately, raising animals in CAFO’s is the standard for Americans. For many of us, CAFO pork is the only option available.

 

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This is an edited version of the article: http://www.collective-evolution.com/2014/11/23/why-you-should-never-eat-pork/

 

Sources are embedded within this article as well as below.

 

http://draxe.com/why-you-should-avoid-pork/

 

http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2012/12/12/eating-pork.aspx

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