By Dr. Joseph Mercola
     with Rachael Droege

Much of the fear surrounding mad cow disease, formally known as bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE), is due to the mysterious nature of the condition. It seemingly strikes at random, no one knows for sure what causes it or how it is transmitted, there is no known cure, and it leads quickly to death virtually 100 percent of the time. The following information should help to dispel any myths you may have heard, and will help to uncover at least some of the mystery surrounding this disease.

Mad cow disease refers to the degenerative and fatal condition that occurs in cows, which essentially creates holes in an infected cow’s brain. A similar disease called scrapie occurs among sheep, chronic wasting disease among deer, and another, Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease, or CJD, among humans. It is believed that humans can get a "human" form of mad cow disease, known as variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob (vCJD) from eating central nervous tissue that comes from the brain or spine of a cow infected with mad cow disease, or meat containing such tissue.

Collectively, these types of diseases are referred to as Transmissible Spongiform Encephalopathy (TSE). Neither viral nor bacterial, many scientists believe these diseases result from misshapen proteins in brain cells, called prions, that cause ruptures in brain cells leading to severe behavioral changes and dementia.

Cattle can become infected with the disease by eating feed that contains infected tissue. Up until 1997, cattle were routinely fed dead ruminants--sheep, goats and cows--that could have been infected with the disease. When this process was banned in 1997, officials believe that only about 75 percent of processors complied. Compliance has risen significantly since this time (though critics say there still isn’t enough enforcement), but, as reported in The Seattle Post, cattle are still fed feed laced with chickens that have been fed cow remnants.

The beef industry insists the U.S. beef supply is safe, which is not surprising considering the huge losses they potentially face. Shortly after a U.S. cow was suspected of having mad cow disease, the New York Times reported that Japan, South Korea, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Singapore, Malaysia, Russia and South Africa had all banned imports of American beef. This made up about two-thirds of the annual $2.6 billion U.S. beef export market.

There is also talk that the latest mad cow scare may push more consumers toward buying organic beef. In order to be certified organic, cows must be fed only grass and grain that have not been supplemented with animal waste or blood, which is sometimes added to commercial feed and could potentially transmit mad cow disease. The Washington Post reports that while organic cows are not likely to be infected through contaminated feed, there may be other unknown ways the disease is transmitted.

Officials say that the infected cow that was discovered in Washington state, the first "officially reported in the United States, came from Alberta, Canada, a discovery that could further hurt the Canadian beef industry, which is still struggling after a lone case of mad cow was discovered there last May. Newsletter readers will remember that I posted the first case of the human version of mad cow disease in the United States over three months ago. The man had lived in Great Britain where it is believed he contracted the disease.

There is another growing theory about mad cow disease that, unfortunately, is widely ignored by the media. Some believe that organophosphate pesticides play a major role in the cause of mad cow disease. These pesticides are applied on the spinal column of cows and are designed to be absorbed into their system to ward off warble flies. For more on this important theory, I encourage you to read Mad Cows or Mad Scientists?

If you are seeking to reduce your risk of mad cow disease by eating organic beef, please remember that the major problem with cattle is that they are fed grain. It is the grain that allows the commercial beef industry to fatten the cattle up quicker and turn a higher profit. This is great for them, but terrible for you as many of the benefits of beef are diminished when beef is grown this way. So, if you eat beef, it is to your advantage to consume grass-fed beef; it is better than organic beef. The best way to purchase it is to find a local farmer who can sell it to you, as this avoids costly shipping charges. However, if you are unable to locate a source, we do carry grass-fed beef on our site.

For those looking to substitute beef altogether, although this is likely not necessary due to the mad cow scare, grass-fed bison makes a safe and healthy alternative. For even more guidance on eating the healthiest foods, I suggest you take a look at my new book, which provides my entire dietary program that is focused on finding the cleanest, most pure sources of all foods, including meats, to avoid any potential diseases and optimize the body's immune system.

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