You’ve heard about the dangers of bacteria developing antibiotic resistance, right? If not you might want to read on.
Excessive use of antibiotics leads to the development of superbugs that are more and more resistant to antibiotics. The problem? If you or someone you love gets an infection with one of the superbugs, there may not be an effective antibiotic that your doctor can use to help you. You’d be on your own to fight the infection, and this is not a place where you want to be.
It’s not that superbugs have had their 15 minutes of fame and now the problem is gone. The problem is bigger now than it ever was, and getting worse. An article a couple of weeks ago in Scientific American highlights the latest finding worrying scientists. Check out the article HERE: New Superbug Gene Found in Animals and People in China – Scientific American
The main issue? Animals are exposed to high levels of antibiotics. Bugs tend to adapt to these antibiotics and become more resilient. So these animals can still carry illness and cause health issues. From there these illnesses are passed to us, not to mention the fact that so are these high levels of antibiotics.
As a result every day we are exposed to antibiotics through the food we eat, as well as what is prescribed by our physicians. The use of antibiotics is pervasive as you can see. When you eat foods that use these substances, your body assimilates them. When you take large amounts of antibiotics for the flu, your body assimilates to them. All of this encourages bugs to adapt, and they do to your detriment.
What’s being done? Unfortunately, not much. Our government is unlikely to ban the use of antibiotics in agriculture due to the strong pharmaceutical lobby. It is estimated that almost 80% of all antibiotics produced in this country are used in agriculture. Ban the use of antibiotics in agriculture in the pharmaceutical companies would lose billions in sales, and they are not going to allow that to happen without a fight.
Farmers are unwilling to give up the use of antibiotics for reasons that might surprise you. Farmers feed massive amounts of antibiotics to their animals because it makes the animals fatten and mature faster. If you can get your cow to market six weeks sooner because you fed it antibiotics to help it mature faster, you can charge less. Thanks to the fast-food industry and our love of cheap food, farmers are unwilling to give up the use of antibiotics and possibly lose sales.
In a sense super agribusiness is a direct source for the creation of these super bugs. Not the original intention for sure, but certainly the result that is occurring. So what can you do?
Well, a tried-and-true solution is to work with market forces. The industry that creates the food you eat wants to produce things you want to buy. If enough people refuse to buy meat and animal products from animals fed antibiotics, it can change what farmers produce. Economists say that if only 5% of the market makes the shift, it will change the entire industry.
5%. Sounds like a workable number don’t you think?
The choices you make can have a big effect. Please choose wisely and refuse to buy animal product from animals fed antibiotics. Your action benefits yourself and your loved ones in a direct and powerful way. You might even choose to switch to a vegetarian or vegan diet. Whatever you do, continue to be mindful of what you consume and find ways to keep your body clean and clear.
In the end it’s worth the effort. To Your Health
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