Is pork meat healthy or unhealthy? A perspective
#WHY_EATING_PORK_IS_BAD_FOR_YOU
Due to pigs scavenger lifestyle they harbor enormous amounts of viruses and parasites.
Pigs are known to be primary carriers of pathogenic organisms that can create very serious health problems.
Pigs’ bodies are breeding grounds for harmful organism, including parasites that can transfer to humans.
These include;
#Trichinella_spiralis – A small nematode parasite responsible for the disease trichinosis. Though most instances of trichinosis either have minor or no symptoms, high infestations can promote nausea, heartburn, diarrhea and indigestion.
#Taenia_solium – Also called the pork tapeworm, Taenia solium is an intestinal parasite characterized by its flat, ribbon-like body and ability to grow to up to eight meters (!) in length. Like regular tapeworms, pork tapeworms steal valuable nutrients from our food, often leading to persistent hunger and fatigue. In extreme cases, intestinal irritation, anemia and emaciation occur.
#Toxoplasma_gondii – A parasitic protozoa capable of infecting all warm-blooded animals. Though a Toxoplasma gondii infection rarely produces noticeable symptoms in healthy humans, it can prove fatal for people with weakened immunity. Consumption of pork can also lead to several viruses in humans, including:
#Hepatitis_E – A virus that can cause abdominal pain, fatigue, jaundice, fever, nausea, vomiting, aching joints and muscles, and other unpleasant symptoms. Sometimes it affects the nervous system, resulting in severe pain in the arms and legs.
#Nipah – This newly-discovered virus reached headlines in 1999, when it killed 103 Malaysian people who came into close contact with infected pigs. Outbreaks of the virus are still an annual occurrence in Bangladesh, but it hasn’t reached the West yet.
#Influenza – Pig influenza, better-known as swine flu, is an infection caused by certain types of swine influenza viruses. Like regular influenza, it produces symptoms like fever, lethargy, decreased appetite and difficulty breathing. In extreme cases, it can cause deaths related to respiratory failure, pneumonia and kidney failure .
A Consumer Reports investigation found that 69% of all raw pork samples tested were contaminated with high amounts of volatile microorganisms such as #Yersinia_enterocolitica (8). This bacteria causes #fever and #gastrointestinal stress and could potentially cause a #deadly_infection.
***Defenders of pork love to claim that these parasites and viruses are caused by eating undercooked meat, and that all of these problems can be averted if we cook our food properly. However, this isn’t entirely true.
The sad fact is that there is no temperature at which pork can be cooked to guarantee that all these harmful organisms and their eggs are killed. Even freezing the meat doesn’t ensure that all organisms, especially certain species of worm, are killed.
This is not the case with beef, lamb and other “clean” meats, which simply need to be frozen and/or cooked properly to become parasite-free (assuming they have parasites in the first place). Incidentally, even if you do manage to kill the parasites in pork…. what does that mean?
You’re eating dead parasites and their eggs!***
#Why_is_Pig_Meat_so_Toxic:
Animals that “chew the cud” as it says in the bible are called ruminants.
These animals hardly chew their food when it is first swallowed.
But they have four stomachs that digest and regurgitate food through a special process that allows complete digestion.
The major ruminants are cows, sheep and goats.
The digestive system of a pig is unique in that it metabolizes food very quickly through one stomach in a process that takes about four hours.
A cow takes twenty four hours to digest what’s eaten and it is able to get rid of excess toxins during the digestive process.
The pig’s digestive system doesn’t allow for this and the toxins are carried into the fat cells and organs of the pig itself.
Pigs also do not have sweat glands.
Perspiration is a key method the body uses to for detoxification and the pig is not designed to perspire.
When we consume pig meat we get all of these pathogenic microorganismsand environmental toxins into our system.
Courtesy:
These are the views of Dr. Oyebade Obalola Jerry and NOT in any way the opinion of the Nigerian Health Blog.
