Dr. Mercola July 12 2008 155,201 views
Scientists have detected antibiotic-resistant bacteria in pork, pigs and some veterinarians. It is possible that these so-called superbugs could infect farmworkers or even people who eat pork.
Antibiotic-resistant bugs were found in more than 7 percent of over 100 swine veterinarians tested. The same bacterial strains were found in nearly 50 percent of 300 tested pigs.
Perhaps of greatest concern, the bacteria were also found in 10 percent of more than 200 samples of ground pork and pork chops collected from four Canadian provinces.
An estimated 18,650 deaths a year in the U.S. are estimated to be caused by antibiotic-resistant bacteria.
If you’re still not convinced of the benefits of avoiding pork, I advise you to keep reading.
Pork is actually good meat from a biochemical perspective, but I believe there is more than enough scientific evidence to justify the reservations or outright prohibitions in many cultures against consuming it.
Pigs are scavenger animals and will eat just about anything. Their appetite for less-than-wholesome foods makes pigs a breeding ground for potentially dangerous infections. Even cooking pork for long periods is not enough to kill many of the retroviruses and other parasites that many of them harbor.
This is why my eating plan recommends consciously avoiding pork whenever possible.
Granted, the occasional consumption of pork might be fine, but it's a risk, and the more you consume it the more likely it is that you will acquire some type of infection, because as I will show you, the antibiotic-resistant bacteria Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is NOT your only potential health hazard.
Scientific Backing for the Avoidance of Pork
Bacon, perhaps one of America’s favorite breakfast staples, is in fact one of the worst type of processed meats you could eat for your health. According to a 2006 study, published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, eating bacon five or more times a week was linked to increasing your risk of bladder cancer by 59 percent. Aside from the processing of the meat, another likely cause for bacon’s negative influence on your health is the heterocyclic amines that form when meat is cooked at high temperatures.
If you cook meat that is loaded with pesticides and hormones at high temperatures, you're simply asking for trouble. That's why I limit my meat choices as much as possible to grass-fed and organic meats.
You also need to beware of eating undercooked pork, as it can cause trichinosis. Fortunately, trichinosis affects only 11 people per year in the U.S. and less than 2 percent of those infected actually die from the disease, which means there is one death every five years in the U.S. from this.
As far as MRSA is concerned, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) have previously warned consumers about the risks inherent in the ever-popular holiday ham in their Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report. Turns out the high salt and sugar content of pre-cooked canned hams provides an ideal growth medium for the Staphylococcus aureus bacteria.
Additionally, if you’re a diabetic or if you have a weakened immune system, you may also do well to steer clear of chitterlings, a dish consisting of boiled pig intestines that are served up as traditional holiday fare in the Southern U.S.
It’s possible for people with poorly controlled diabetes to become seriously ill with enteritis necroticans, a potentially life-threatening intestinal infection. The rare disease causes severe stomach pain, vomiting of blood and low blood pressure. The culprit is the chitterlings-contaminating bacterium known as Clostridium perfringens type C, which produces a toxin that is lethal to tissue in your digestive tract. Even cooking the chitterlings might not rid them of the bacteria.
But wait, there’s more!
The Unsavory Side of Pork
The pork and swine industry has been continually plagued, and continues to be so to this day, by a wide variety of hazardous and deadly infections and diseases, including:
PRRS -- A horrendous disease, which I first reported on in 2001, but which had been a nightmare for many nations since the mid-1980s, is still alive and kicking today. At one point referred to as "swine mystery disease," "blue abortion," and "swine infertility," the disease was finally named "Porcine Reproductive and Respiratory Syndrome” (PRRS), and may afflict about 75 percent of American pig herds. The PRRS virus primarily attacks the pig’s immune system, leaving its body open to a host of infections, particularly in the lungs. Initial research revealed that the virus was transmitted via semen, saliva and blood, leaving pigs herded closely together and transported in close quarters by trucks more susceptible to infection. However, according to new research presented at the 2007 International PRRS Symposium shows that the disease is now airborne, making eradication efforts very difficult. According to the PRRS Coordinated Agricultural Project (CAP) and the National Pork Board, it is still the most economically significant disease of swine in the U.S. The Nipah Virus – Discovered in 1999, the Nipah virus has caused disease in both animals and humans, through contact with infected animals. In humans, the virus can lead to deadly encephalitis (an acute inflammation of your brain). I originally reported on this virus in 2000, but according to CDC data, the Nipah virus reemerged again in 2004. Hepatitis E (HEV) – According to the Mayo Clinic and an article in the Journal of Clinical Biology, pork may be the reservoir responsible for sporadic, locally acquired cases of acute hepatitis reported in regions with relatively mild climates as HEV has been found to transmit between swine and humans. Porcine Endogenous Retrovirus (PERV) – According to a study in the journal Lancet, this virus can spread to people receiving pig organ transplants, and according to test tube studies, PERV strains does have the ability to infect human cells. PERV genes are scattered throughout pigs' genetic material, and researchers have found that pig heart, spleen and kidney cells release various strains of the virus. Menangle Virus – In 1998, the journal Emerging Infectious Diseases reported that a new virus infecting pigs was able to jump to humans. The menangle virus was discovered in August 1997 when sows at an Australian piggery began giving birth to deformed and mummified piglets.
PRRS -- A horrendous disease, which I first reported on in 2001, but which had been a nightmare for many nations since the mid-1980s, is still alive and kicking today.
At one point referred to as "swine mystery disease," "blue abortion," and "swine infertility," the disease was finally named "Porcine Reproductive and Respiratory Syndrome” (PRRS), and may afflict about 75 percent of American pig herds.
The PRRS virus primarily attacks the pig’s immune system, leaving its body open to a host of infections, particularly in the lungs. Initial research revealed that the virus was transmitted via semen, saliva and blood, leaving pigs herded closely together and transported in close quarters by trucks more susceptible to infection.
However, according to new research presented at the 2007 International PRRS Symposium shows that the disease is now airborne, making eradication efforts very difficult. According to the PRRS Coordinated Agricultural Project (CAP) and the National Pork Board, it is still the most economically significant disease of swine in the U.S.
The Nipah Virus – Discovered in 1999, the Nipah virus has caused disease in both animals and humans, through contact with infected animals. In humans, the virus can lead to deadly encephalitis (an acute inflammation of your brain). I originally reported on this virus in 2000, but according to CDC data, the Nipah virus reemerged again in 2004.
Hepatitis E (HEV) – According to the Mayo Clinic and an article in the Journal of Clinical Biology, pork may be the reservoir responsible for sporadic, locally acquired cases of acute hepatitis reported in regions with relatively mild climates as HEV has been found to transmit between swine and humans.
Porcine Endogenous Retrovirus (PERV) – According to a study in the journal Lancet, this virus can spread to people receiving pig organ transplants, and according to test tube studies, PERV strains does have the ability to infect human cells. PERV genes are scattered throughout pigs' genetic material, and researchers have found that pig heart, spleen and kidney cells release various strains of the virus.
Menangle Virus – In 1998, the journal Emerging Infectious Diseases reported that a new virus infecting pigs was able to jump to humans. The menangle virus was discovered in August 1997 when sows at an Australian piggery began giving birth to deformed and mummified piglets.
What About Pasture-Raised Pork?
In a slightly ironic twist, I can’t even safely recommend consuming pasture-raised pork, because while researching this article I stumbled across a study in the current issue of Emerging Infectious Diseases citing concerns about pastured pigs being vulnerable to Trichinella spiralis infection, due to their exposure to wild hosts that carry the disease.
Pasture-raised pig farming has expanded with increased demand from health conscious consumers, and currently there are 28 U.S. farms located within 50 kilometers of a previously infected site.
If for whatever reason you still want to continue buying pasture-raised pork, I’d advise you to at least take a look at the CDC map, which details areas where outbreaks have occurred, to avoid purchasing meat from a potentially unsafe location.
Grandpa W,
I haven't laughed so hard in days!!
Don't you think the doc is turning to scare tactics to generate good reading? Did you notice the 2 links he offers at the end of the article don't take you to a readable site?
I had no problem connecting to any of the links, though I would have preferred a source other than Dr. Mercola's own site and OCA. They may be good sources, but any good researcher knows you need at least 2 outside sources.
I don't believe he's being overly alarmist for one main reason: pigs are biologically remarkably similar to humans. This is why their organs are used in humans for transplant, but it also means that they are serious candidates for cross contamination.
And that's basically what the article said. He just listed the contaminants.
Though there is one fact that Dr. Mercola, and your typical pig farmer, do not take into account.
A research study was done in the 1970s. Pigs were put into a climate-controlled room with access to a thermostat. They were fed in troughs, and they were allowed to control the temperature themselves. They did, too. They kept the room at a temperature that allowed them to be comfortable, and they grew faster and lived in a clean environment. It was also determined to be a less expensive way to raise them. Of course, it was never used as far as I know.
Remember, pigs are naturally reasonably clean. The reason they "wallow" is to keep cool. As for "scavenging", they are fond of mushrooms (hence using them to find truffles).
All of this said, I don't eat pork. I'm allergic to mammal meat.
Thanks for making me laugh LMAO :D
While I don't agree with everything Dr. Mercola has, much of his information is very helpful. This was a very informativer article. I think our Creator is smart enough to know a scavenger animal. After all, he created them for that prupose. Even though I'm not Jewish, when the Old Testament tells us not eat the meat of unclean animals, I respect the wisdom of it's author enought to do so. Jordan Ruben, ND and author of several health books, tells how when the bad plagues hit medevial Europe and countless people died, the Jewish people, becuase of their sanitation practices and refusal to eat unclean meat, remained healthy.
cydwatts, I think DDS is referring to the 2 links in the intro. Neither one is accessible to us. They require a password but no opportunity to register.
You're funny! Only thing I can say is that I have and continue to eat pork products on occasion and so does everyone I know (friends, family) and we all seem to be in very good health. With the serious nature of Mercola's article you would think that at least some of those eating pork would show some/any signs of something going wrong. Humans may exist (and hopefully will) on planet Earth for thousands, even hundreds of thousands of years from now. That being stated, aren't we going to have to adapt to food sources (albeit contaminated, diseased or otherwise) to continue to survive??? After reading so many of Mercola's articles, it seems crazy to think we can completely avoid the hazzards of our environments. There are simply too many. It seems that you could spend a fortune trying to shelter yourself from all of the contaminations (and that is based on those that are known) and you will still fall short. Also, consider what we know (or think we know) compared to what we will know 10, 20 or 30 years from now.
SCK90212, you & your family & friends' apparent health can be very deceiving, lulling one into a false sense of security. You clearly do not understand the life cycle of the various parasites associated with pigs and porcine products. (See Dr. Hulda Clark.) Additionally, the University of Hawaii did a study in the early 80's hoping to "debunk" the dietary restrictions in the Old Testament. What they actually discovered what that every unclean meat listed, (obviously, they didn't test meats from animals that are now extinct,) is humanly indigestible. Anything indigestible is bound to cause some sort of health challenge. The trouble is, most people expect instantaneous cause/effect type reactions/responses and the medical community won't even look at parasitic life cycles as causal agents in degenerative or infectious diseases. So that pork you're eating now may be contributing or causing the cancer you may end up with 20 years from now, but it's unlikely the connection will be made. (See also The China Study) I'm no Bible thumper for sure, but eating filthy is like playing Russian roulette with your long term health, I don't care what religion you are.
CJH - plagues were also caused by drinking water from poisoned wells
Veteranarians are very salty.
Good advice, Grandpa W.!
I started a grocery list today beginning with bacon. Scratch that; make it turkey bacon. Love that smoked meat taste.
Next thing I know, we'll have an article about that product. Just wait and see.
All kidding aside, Dr. M is not the first I have read advising against pork. I can do without it, really.
What about shrimp? Also a scavenger animal, but delicious.
signed, Plumbob
DDS, sometimes the links just don't work, or are s-s-s-s-s-o-o-o-o-o-o s-s-s-s-s-l-l-l-l-o-o-o-o-w-w-w-w that you think they're not working. Same with websites in postings. Those two worked fine for me today. Try 'em again.
Let me see, if any one of you were kept in a 10x10 ft pen with 5 of your best friends and never allowed out for anything at any time for 6 months and your "provider" didn't clean up after you at least once per day, wouldn't it look like you were wallowing in **** too?
Pigs are as clean as they are allowed by man. Pigs on your farm are dirty? Then your farm is a sty-clean it! Pigs do not eat **** unless forced to. Pigs eating rotten garbage? That's no different than you eating junk food except the pig doesn't have a choice because he's stuck in a small pen with 5 best friends and can't get out to better choices. A pig is a lot like a little child and will explore with its mouth.
We have pigs. They eat specific foods out of clean pans. They drink clean water out of a pig fount with a spigot at the bottom. They eat alfalfa hay! They drink goat milk. They enjoy a good apple.
They will not eat lettuce or vegetables from the supermarket but they will eat specific weeds from my own garden. They potty in one spot. They do not root around in that spot any more than you would sail a toy boat in your toilet.
They love a good roll in clean mud. Yeah...clean mud! There is such a thing. And having a cold shower actually makes them frisky and want to run around squealing with delight.
Yes, you should be more specific about where and how your pork was raised. I saw the gross guy on "Dirtiest Jobs" slopping pigs with this nasty crap he called his personal recipe and how desparately hungry they were and how the poor beasts had to live in filth. He didn't clean the pens until the pigs were gone and before the next batch of victims arrived.
I gave up on pork once. Pork from commercial packers that is. It was as if I could taste the **** in the meat. Homegrown cannot be beat for health, vitality and flavor!
A pig is as clean inside and out as the farmer/pork producer allows. Too bad some think cleanliness comes at the end of a syringe.
7kids!,
I agree with you wholeheartedly. I buy unprocessed fresh pork (not cured or smoked) from a farmer in central Virginia. He has 75 acres of mostly wooded land, and has only 3 to 4 pigs per acre. His pigs are a cross of two rare breeds that are hardy enough to live outdoors (they actually have "fur" like wild boars). The pigs have shelters with clean bedding (for cold winter days) and ponds where they can cool off in the summer. The farmer gives them some supplemental feed, and they are allowed to roam the woods and feed on whatever appeals to them. Because the pigs are free-range in a clean environment, the farmer rarely sees any kind of infection in his pigs. So, the pigs are healthy and antibiotic-free. The farmer also uses a family-run, small-operation butchering company in his area that treats his pigs humanely.
I have not eaten commercial pork in many years. However, when I found out about this farm and learned about how the farmer raises his pigs, I have no problem buying and eating pork from such a conscientious farmer. I also get grass-fed beef, raw dairy, and eggs from an Amish farmer in Pennsylvania, and pasture-raised chickens from small-operation chicken farmers in my state (Maryland).
I bake all of my meats, poultry, and salmon in a covered glass pan in a counter-top oven rather than pan-frying on a very hot burner. With my method, I avoid the very high heat you get when you use a metal frying pan that touches the surface of the animal protein. I use a lower temperature (250 to 300 degrees F) and cook my meats/poultry/salmon somewhat longer to make sure it is thoroughly cooked.
In summary, I get all of my animal protein foods from local farmers whom I know and trust. I have to eat a high-protein, high-fat, low-carb (gluten-free) diet, because that is my nutritional type. I have gone to a lot of effort to find these healthy farm sources. As a result, my health is much better now than it was two years ago.
7 kids, where is your farm and can we buy meat from you, especially pork? When I lived in Germany for the year, the pigs were kept in clean troughs and cared for like you wrote about. What is wrong with us that we continue to do things that kill us???
Lynn & spm;
Thank you for your replies. Lynn, what you are doing is inspiring, you are so blessed to have this farmer near you. It sounds like you are using your local resources to their fullest and to your good health.
spm; I live in sunny So. CA of all places. We raise pork for ourselves only but we have access to sow owners for piglet resources. They raise their swine using similar practices. We are part of a locavore project and keep our food/livestock purchases local-within 100 miles.
I originally began meat raising with goats since we have dairy goats and each year you have to do something with the excess males, either sell them for meat or eat them yourselves. I have lately had them ground into burger.
Since I have allergic reactions with my skin to store-bought chicken I ventured into raising my own poultry. I love it! And, I'm not allergic to my own chicken raised on natural grains without meds or drugs in them. I don't know what is in chicken food on a commercial scale but it affected me and my skin is the messenger. We have since moved on to turkeys. They are marvelous! So, raising pigs was the next big thing.
If you want to find local farmers that do what I do, go to the county fair during the youth week. Look for the kids showing livestock. Talk to them and their parents. They will be local and homegrown or can steer you in that direction. That's how we got hooked up in this in the first place. Our kids raise livestock for the fair and show them and then sell them and make some money. Its a great way for kids to learn responsibilities and that not all things are instantly gratifying, you have to work and plan.
Another place to search is your county extention office. They have access to 4H leaders who can also help you find local families that raise livestock.
hth
Donna
For those of you raising your own livestock for food, how do you get around becoming attached to the critters? I have thought about raising a couple chickens for eggs (have to check with my HOA here in socal) but don't know that I could eat them after raising them and taking care of them. I know you can get a mindset about it, and it would be easier if you had a quantity of animals so you didn't emotionally interact with any one in particular, I just think it would be difficult. Maybe I'm just too pet oriented or minded.
I wonder too if part of the biblical prohibition against pigs could also have been because of their intelligence. Would God bless the idea of eating an intelligent, albeit souless, creature? Maybe I don't get out enough, but I don't see chickens, sheep, cows and goats as being particularly smart. ...don't know about the veterinarians...though I do know some who scavenge.
Well stated Islander. Congrats on the moderator status too!
My husband and I are farmers and we happen to raise some pork. I can tell you that we do not do things like the huge farms do. A lot of scare tactics within this issue as in many other issues. I do not believe a meatless diet is the answer for me however, we all need to be much more careful of what we choose to put into our bodies.
Learn about basic nutrition and make some lifestyle changes. There are many more sites than just Mercola.com. Try the localharvest.org site to find local farmers and other wholesome products located near you.
You do indeed get what you pay for and if you don't mind paying with your health, continue to do what you've always done and you'll get what you've always gotten.
Peace,
Dawn
Articles like this that employ scare tactics make me cross. Pigs, like any other animal, are as healthy as their human caretakers allow them to be. I had a diversified farm for many years and believe me, the pigs were the cleanest animals on the place. In confinement, they will defecate as far from their food source as possible. They are highly intelligent and full of personality. A boar is the least dangerous of any uncut male animal. Further, when you cure and smoke your own hams and bacon, as I have done for years, you need use no nitrates or nitrites. As for the Biblical prohibition, any anthropologist will explain the cultural reason: among a nomadic desert people, pigs and humans compete for the same resources.
And Rett, whoever told you about those worms was describing maggots. They will appear on ANY piece of meat left out at room temperature long enough for fies to lay eggs on them. Good grief, is this how urban legends start?
If you believe every scary story about meat, spinach, tomatoes, eggs, etc. etc. you will end up living on wheat grass. Lighten up, take your pork chop with a grain of sea salt, and eat well. Food is meant to be enjoyed!
Ummm, any moderators who care to answer. You are allowing Islander to get negative points but not positive. This is the most ridiculous type of manipulation imaginable. Actually, it'a more than ridiculous, it's appalling. What the heck is going on? For those who don't know: A couple of days ago, Islander earned enough points to get a blue (moderator's) bar. As soon as that happened, she went back to savvy user and has since been blocked from receiving positive votes. All this because she is intelligent enough to think independently and won't tow the mercola line at all times. Anyone else smell rotten fish?
Islander, always the voice of reason. Thank you!
Patty,
I think you're right. I was unable to give Islander a point but was able to give one to you, which was erased, by the time I posted.
Okay, just as a test I clicked a thumbs up for Islander, and it popper her total up to 23 points. So I don't think there's a software conspiracy against her.
Nils, the problem was on July 12. The mods fixed it (thanks y'all)!
Good for you, Nathan. I've quit eating pigs, chickens, cows, and basically all other animals besides fish. Haven't felt this good in years. As much as you people hate to hear it but vegetarian is the way to go. Actually, raw food (fruits and vegetables) is the best, when all of the enzymes/minerals are still fully in tact and your body easily digests it.