P O R K

PORK!

"And the swine,...of their flesh shall ye not eat, and their carcase shall ye not touch; they are unclean to you." Leviticus 11:7, 8.

We SDAs are right on target as we follow the biblical injunction to refrain from eating this highly suspect article of food. Hogs, pigs, swine...pork, ham, bacon, sausage, hot dogs, pork chops,--call it what you will , the results are the same Consider the following:

* Pork and pork products have been found to be the main culprit in cases of high blood pressure, according to Lloyd Rosenvold, MD, writing in Hypertension. Of course, it has become common knowledge that this product with its rich payload of saturated fat and salt and other unhealthful compounds is the perfect medium for raising blood pressure to dangerous levels.

* Shahrazadi Ali, writing in How Not To Eat Pork, points out that as scavengers, swine are able to eat anything chewable--rotten garbage, dead rats, other animals, human or animal dung, etc. with no apparent ill effects and can swallow lye, arsenic, etc., or be bitten by a poisonous snake and will not die. (Those eating their flesh, though, can be poisoned!)

* Hogs have a tub-like opening in their forelegs, a few inches above the foot (similar to a sewer line) which oozes pus. This yellowish sticky fluid formed in infected tissue consists of cellular debris which makes the pig's flesh sticky, greasy and slimy, especially after cooking.

* Gorden S. Tessler, Ph.D., writes this in Clean and Unclean Foods. "Pigs can carry up to 200 diseases and 18 different worms and parasites, including the deadly worm called trichinella spiralis, which can result in trichinosis. A person may be committing slow suicide when they purchase and eat ham, bacon or pork chops, etc. Many diseases are misdiagnosed by the medical profession; their real cause is round worms, gullet worms, hook worms, thorn-headed worms, trichina worms, stomach worms, nodular worms, tapeworms, and many other parasites found in the flesh of the unclean swine."

Some of these worms are microscopic and other can grow up to several feet in length (tapeworms), and can lodge in the colon, lungs, liver, in the muscles and joints, in the esophagus, the brain, the skin and even in the eyes of those eating the contaminated flesh. The electron microscope gives much more information regarding the microscopic germs and worms pigs can carry. Worms and parasites of every description turn, twist and crawl, hiding inside the flesh of the pig. A hog has been called a walking microbiologic zoo. A dead pig is a biologic time bomb.

How would you like your worms? rare or well-done? Yes, consumers are told to cook their pork long enough and at a high enough temperature to kill the worms. Now, I ask you, how appetizing or healthful are well-cooked worms? (Consumers are warned not to microwave pork because it may not kill the worms).

* The symptoms of trichinosis include flu-like symptoms, joint and muscle aches and pains, skin conditions, sleep disturances, chronic fatigue, swellings, nervousness, and warious other miseries. Indeed, many of the problem cases of weakness, aches and pains which do not seem to respond to therapy are the result of a body infested with parasites. Yes, many of these symptoms are strikingly similar to the complaints of those suffering from fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue syndrome and various other maladies that are on the increase in the U.S. and Canada.

* Pork eating has been associated with an increased risk of breast cancer, stomach cancer, and esophageal cancer. --Journal of Health and Healing, Vol. 12, No. 1. A meal which features pork will produce a blood picture indistinguishable from that of cancer, for 8 or 9 hours after. --An Interpretation of Cancer and the Study of Blood in Cancer, Gruner.

* More dangers...As science moves closer to using pig organs for human transplants, some experts caution that the technique could transfer deadly swine viruses to humans. The viruses do not produce disease in pigs or in mice, but related viruses cause leukemias in a variety of species. Alix Fano, head of the Campaign for Responsible Transplantation, an organization of scientists and doctors opposed to xenotransplantation, points out that "pigs are a resevoir of viruses, and we have no idea what their organs would do if transferred to humans." --Los Angeles Times, Jan. 4, 2002. (Comment: What about the people who consume this virus-laden meat?)

* And on and on it goes. The Spirit of Prophecy, in no uncertain terms gives this warning: "Swine are scavengers, and this is the only use they were intended to serve. Never, under any circumstances, was their flesh to be eaten by human beings." --Ellen G. White, Counsels on Diet and Foods, p. 392.

Suzanne

More on PORK

Well, we Adventists can pat ourselves on the back and say confidently that we do not eat pork! But wait, listen to this! "Trichinae can result from eating undercooked pork, which often masquerades as hamburger." --Linda Clark, Get Well Naturally.

That's right brothers and sisters, unscrupulous butchers and meat purveyors are known to throw hot dogs, lamb, hearts, tongues, spinal cords, scraps of old meat, including pork, and who knows what into the grinder for hamburger. Doctored ground beef is normal practice.

Unsing sophisticated DNA test, ABC television's Dateline, in 1998 and again in 1999, reported finding pork and other nonbeef products in "ground beef" samples from various supermarkets around the country. Some samples contained up to 36% pork. They pointed out that adulterated ground beef is common practice and can indeed pose health problems, including trichinosis, a disease caused by a parasite found in pork and can be killed only by cooking at high temperataures--higher than what most people cook ground beef. (Again, how would you like your worms, rare or well-done?).... Further , there are many incidences where butchers substitute other meat for the steak selected to be ground.

"It is impossible for the flesh of any living creatures to be healthy when filth is their natural element, and when they will feed upon every detestable thing....Pork eating is still causing the most intense suffering to the human race." --Ellen White, Counsels on Diet and Foods, pp. 392, 393.

Suzanne

There is also the hidden pork in things like, jello, marshmellows, candies, chips as well as those used in medicine and dentistry.

Frito Lay Helping You Manage Special Dietary Needs and list kosher items as well as those that do not contain porcine.

Trichinosis

Trichinosis is caused by eating raw or undercooked pork and wild game products infected with the larvae of a species of worm called Trichinella. Infection occurs worldwide, but is most common in areas where raw or undercooked pork, such as ham or sausage, is eaten. When these worms invade the body there can be nausea, diarrhea, vomiting, fatigue, fever, and abdominal discomfort. These are the first symptoms. Headaches, fevers, chills, cough, eye swelling, aching joints and muscle pains, itchy skin, diarrhea, or constipation follow the first symptoms. If the infection is heavy, patients may experience difficulty coordinating movements, and have heart and breathing problems. In severe cases, death can occur.

And it mimics dozens of other disorders, many of the very maladies that so many Americans and Canadians are battling today. This invisible disorder may well be raging undercover while doctors are baffled; people are suffering and in certain circles folks are denying that there is a problem.

Dr. Dennis Juranek, former assistant chief of the parasitical disease branch of the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, in Atlanta noted that "just about any symptom known to man can be caused by trichinosis. Often doctors misdiagnose trichinosis because it resembles something like the flu. You feel 'achy' and have pains all over. Your muscles are sore." (These symptoms affects many thousands).

Another authority stated that at least 50 different diseases are mimicked by trichinosis. Typically, symptoms begin to appear one to 3 days after eating infected meat. A bad stomachache, nausea, and vomiting are frequently the first symptoms. Fever is also common. Within a few days, the person may have a severe headache along with muscle pain and weakness. Breathing may become difficult. The face may be puffy or swollen, and there may be visual problems.

Chills and fever, with a great deal of sweating at night are also fairly common symptoms. Usually, after a few weeks, the symptoms subside, and although they may continue to bother the person for months, the larvae eventually become dormant. However, if a sufficient number of larvae reach the heart or lungs, death can result from heart failure or pneumonia. In some cases of massive infestation, death results from general prostration.

This malady is difficult to diagnose and is just as difficult to treat. There are groups of people, especially in ethnic communities, that like meat rare and continue to eat it that way.

And that's just the tip of the ice berg. Pigs' bodies contain many toxins, worms and latent diseases. While some of these infestations are harbored in other animals, modern veterinarians say that pigs are far more predisposed to these illnesses than other animals. Farmers' Bulletin 1787, Internal Parasites of Swine notes that some swine parasites live in portions of the digestive tract; others occur in the lungs, liver, kidneys, muscles and other locations outside the digestive tract. Wandering young worms penetrate various parts of the body. Practically all tissues and cavities of hogs may contain parasites at one time or another."

A discussion of every kind of parasite common to hogs would fill a volume, and it has been truly stated that a study of hogs would indeed be a parasitologist's paradise.

A scientist at the Univ. of Glessehn's Institute for Virology in Germany showed in a study of worldwide influenza epidemics that pigs are the one animal that can serve as a mixing vessel for new influenza viruses that may seriously threaten world health. If a pig is exposed to a human's DNA virus and then a bird's virus, the pig mixes the two viruses--developing a new DNA virus that is often extremely lethal for humans. These viruses have already caused worldwide epidemics and destruction. Virologists have concluded that if we do not find a way to separate humans from pigs, the whole earth's population may be at risk. --Cultivating a Killer Virus, National History, Jan. 1992.

"Pork should be considered a homotoxin (human poison) and probable cause of many common sicknesses and degenerative diseases." --The Genesis Diet, Dr. Gordon Tessler.

Suzanne

More Pork Info

Through the years I have collected much info on this important subject. Here is an excerp from the book, Green Leaves of Barley, by Dr. Mary Ruth Swope:

"Another very, very important way we can conserve our inherited supply of enzymes would be to follow the rules God gave the Israelites as recorded in the Bible. It is interesting to note that much of the "new" wisdom on these subjects corroborates the ideas behind dietary laws practiced by the Hebrews [in old Testament times]. I have found it fascinating to study what the prophet Moses told the people regarding the types and preparation of food they could (and could not) eat. You can find the detailed list of this information in the Old Testament books of Leviticus (Chapter 11) and Deuteronomy (Chapter 14).

"One of the most outstanding examples would be the command, 'Eat no pig' (TLB). You don't need to be reminded that pork in its many forms bacon, ham, sausage, BBQ) is an all-American favorite. We love the taste of smoked, cured pork, and we eat it in very large quantities. Are we doing the right thing? Absolutely NOT--unless our goal is to exhaust our enzyme supply, rob ourselves of good health, and shorten our lives with degenerative diseases.

"Let me explain the seriousness of our pork-eating patterns. Recently, my pastor visited a dying friend in a cancer treatment center off the coast of the U.S. The night he was there, a German doctor spoke to the patients and their families. His whole lecture was on enzymes and the need for us to conserve the internal life forces which we were given at birth. He made the statement that because the pig is the 'earth's garbage can, the consumption of pork requires thousands of enzymes to detoxify the flesh before the stomach can digest it. In the stomach and small intestine, it requires additional hundreds of enzymes to digest and assimilate it. Because Americans are short on enzymes, this doctor said that we are not adequiately digesting the pork. It lies in our intestines, putrifies, forms carcinogens, and we show up with cancer. His advice was for us not to eat pork at all.

"A humorous situiation occurred when my pastor spoke to him after his lecture and said, 'Leviticus said for us not to eat pork, and we have ignored that advice.' The doctor replied, 'I have never heard of Dr. Leviticus nor read his published works, but I know from my own research that the eating of pork is a major cause of cancer and other degenerative diseases.'

"At this point, I would like to ask you a question. Did you really hear what has been said abouit eating? Do you want to live a long, healthy, disease-free life? Then,...eliminate pork from your diet."

Comment: Interesting and timely observations....

Suzanne

More Info on This Important Subject

Other worms and parasites are present in pork--so much so that the eating of swine has been called the diet of worms.

Indeed, the pork tapeworm measuring thirty to 100 feet, has been found in the intestines of humans. These and other worms and parasites cause untold agonies and many deaths as patients die of strange, unknown diseases, which baffle the doctors' skill both as to cure and diagnosis. These parasitic diseases are likely to be attributed to other than their true cause.

And more than this...I did a search to find info on the cancer virus and was quite surprised to find this statement in the first article that appeared: "In 1920 Royal Rife identiied the human cancer virus using the world most powerful microscope (which he created), cultured the virus (on salted pork, the best growing medium), and injected it into rats. These injections caused cancer in every one of the rats (all 400 or them)...-- Royal Rife and the Cancer Virus, from Jaguar Enterprises.

The fact that a virus can cause cancer has been disputed and discussed for many years. Some are still skeptics...But as far back as 1905, Inspiration set the record straight: "People are continually eating flesh that is filled with tuberculous and cancerous germs. Tuberculosis, cancer, and other fatal diseases are thus communicated. --Ellen White, The Ministry of Healing, p. 313.

In 1875, Sis. White pointed out that "flesh meats constitute the principal article of food upon the tables of some families, until their blood is filled with cancerous and scrofulous humors." --Testimonies for the Church, Vol. 3:563.

Another statement by Ellen White: "The eating of pork has produced scrofula,...and cancerous humors....Counsels on Diet and Foods, p. 393.

Scrofula (Dictionary - Swellings of the neck glands. A sow, because it is supposed to be subject to the disease. Tuberculosis of the lymphatic glands, especially of the neck, characterized by the enlargement and degeneration of the glands.

This condition sounds strangely like lymphoma and Hodgkin's disease, which are among the fastest increasing malignancies in this country.

Hodgkin's disease - a malignancy of the lymph system. The most common symptoms: painless enlargement of a group of lymph nodes usually in the neck or the armpit.

Let's focus on cancer: "The Women's Healthy Eating and Living Study reports that women with a family history of breast cancer had less damage to their DNA when they reduced the amount of beef and pork in their diets, ate 3 servings of fruit, and five servings of vegetables, and drank 16 ounces of fresh vegetable juice a day." --Prevention, April 1999, p. 131.

Frank Horsfall Jr., MD, announced in 1961 that all forms of cancer result from changes in the genetic coding (DNA) of cells. --Prevention, September 2000, p. 148.

Pancreatic cancer- A National Cancer Institute research team found that a group of Cajuns in Louisiana, who ate the most pork (mainly bacon, ham, sausage, cold cuts and unprocessed fresh pork, usually eaten with rice) had tremendously high rates of pancreatic cancer.... Jean Carper, writing in Food--Your Miracle Medicine.

Arthritis - James C. Breneman, MD, a food allergist, from Kalamazoo, Michigan, found that meat can cause or aggravate many of the symptoms of arthritis. Pork was the worst offender. --Prevention, Dec. 1984.

And on and on it goes. Indeed, "Pork eating is still causing the most intense suffering to the human race." --Ellen White, Counsels on Diet and Foods, 393.

A word to the wise,
Suzanne

MRSA Superbug Found in Raw Pork

By Patty Donovan, citizen journalist

(NaturalNews) In October, 2008, an investigation by KOMO-TV in Seattle, in partnership with Fisher Broadcasting stations across the region, found the super bug, Methicillin Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus (MRSA), in 3 packages of ground pork bought at grocery stores in California, Oregon and Idaho. They purchased a total of 97 packages of ground pork and pork cutlets and sent them to a USDA certified lab in Seattle for testing. This investigation was undertaken after one local young man died of MRSA pneumonia and another lost a leg to MRSA.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has resisted testing pork for MRSA according to KOMO. Although the findings are ominous there is no way to know if these 2 young men contracted MRSA from raw pork. This multi-drug resistant bacterium already kills more people in the U.S. than AIDS. MRSA was once a problem only in institutions such as hospitals and nursing homes, but it is now increasingly diagnosed as "community acquired" meaning the patient was infected out in the community, not in an institution. MRSA is a multi-drug resistant superbug. Infections are extremely difficult to eradicate and MRSA pneumonia and sepsis have close to a 50% fatality rate.

"It all starts with just one bacterium which you cannot see with your naked eyes," said Dr. Mansour Samadpour, an expert bacterial microbiologist with IEH Laboratories where the testing was conducted. The USDA refuses to conduct testing although pigs are known to carry MRSA and a particularly virulent strain was discovered in pigs during a study conducted by the University of Iowa. "MRSA is a very different kind of bacteria," said Dr. Rebecca Goldburg, a biologist with Keep Antibiotics Working. "As far as I'm concerned, the USDA and FDA are kind of asleep at the wheel on this one."

Canada and several European countries already test for MRSA in pork in grocery stores. KOMO investigators contacted the USDA with their findings and were informed again that there are no plans for testing. Both the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Food and Drug Administation were also contacted with the results. The FDA says they have started a small pilot study of raw meat in Washington, D.D., but they don't have any results yet and don't know when the study will be finished. This is something that can be screened for to keep the public protected. Is this not the puspose of the USDA, CDC and the FDA?

The National Pork Board just began testing pork in retail markets....their preliminary results are similar to KOMO's: about a 3% positive rate for MRSA. The Pork Board said MRSA is a priority, but they don't know if it's a risk to you. Although all these studies have indicated MRSA in the pork, the tests are so sensitive that there is no way of quantifying just how contaminated the meat is, whether it is teeming with MRSA or just has a few. However, remember, it just takes one to cause an infection.

Although most people believe that cooking meat well eliminates any chance of infection, this is untrue for MRSA because it can cause skin infections, unlike E-coli or salmonella. A person can become colonized or infected simply by touching an object contaminated with MRSA. Touching your nose or having an abrasion on your hands while preparing raw pork can potentially lead to colonization or outright infection. Colonization means the bacterium is present, but not causing any problems. Colonization of the nose and skin greatly increases your risk of an actual MRSA infection. MRSA infections range from hard to heal boils to life threatening penumonia, sepsis (bacteria in the blood) and jount infections.

Canada has also reported contamination of ground pork and pork chops across the country. Just under 10% of ground pork and pork chops tested positive for MRSA, while there was no contamination of pork roasts. Canada began researching contamination of pork with MRSA after discovering MRSA in pigs in Ontario. Dr. Scott Weese, a veterinarian based at the Ontario Veterinary College in Guelph, is investigating the cause of the dramatic increase in community acquired MRSA in Canada. He stated: "My main concern is: if there's MRSA on the surface of a pork chop and someone's handling it and then they touch their nose, could they transmit it from the pork chop to their nose?" Although the investigators found nearly 10% of pork contaminated, he says that it is too soon to draw conclusions as to its role in the increase in community MRSA infections.

The Netherlands found MRSA in raw chicken in 2005 so the problem may not be limited to pork. ...

Sources: http://www.klewtv.com/news/33624114
http://www.healthzone.ca/health/art

Suzanne

It's too bad pork tastes so good. Less people would eat pork if it didn't taste so good. Of course, it depends on the pig and who cooks it. Don't get me wrong. I'm not advocating eating it. I gave it up a long time ago (when I became a Bible believing Christian).

Just the thought of the stuff grosses me out. It ranks in my mind alongside other so-called delectables like blood pudding. Yuck!

Of course, the Bible prohibits both, so "yuck" is an appropriate reaction.

On the other hand, North Americans and most Europeans do not see the beasts slaughtered. Here in Asia, the "wet markets" have plenty of fresh kills hanging up to dry, with the flies gathering around for their own taste-testing. It's a rather different way to buy your meat, I am sure. I've known some foreigners who decide to eat vegetarian while here in Asia...but I think they have a false sense of security with the meat back at home, as if it were any better.

For my part, I'd take the flavor of olive oil any day over lard. So you haven't sold me on the idea that pork is tasty. Once again...yuck! Just the smell of the meat market...there's something about the pig's blood and brains that has a characteristic odor. Suffice it to say, I walk extra fast through those portions of the market, sometimes even holding my breath!

Blessings,

Green Cochoa.

Pork isn't the only thing that tastes good in spite of its bad looks and smells. For example, fish. Ever seen fish hanging in the market dripping with blood, eyes bulging, and covered with flies? And the stench. Pew-wee! And yet Jesus ate it with His disciples after His resurrection. But, hey, I doubt Jesus would eat it nowadays, eh! I think He would serve tofu instead.

Here is an interesting statement from Inspiration, regarding pork: "Among the viands placed before the king were swine's flesh and other meats which were declared unclean by the law of Moses, and which the Hebrews had been expressly forbidden to eat. Here Daniel was brought to a severe test. Should he adhere to the teachings of his fathers concerning meats and drinks, and offend the king, and probably lose not only his position but his life? or should he disregard the commandment of the Lord, and retain the favor of the king, thus securing great intellectual advantages and the most flattering worldly prospects?

"Daniel did not long hesiate. He decided to stand firm in his integrity, let the result be what it might. He 'purposed in his heart that he would not defile himself with the portion of the king's meat, nor with the wine whch he drank.' Dan. 1:8." --Ellen White, The Sanctified Life, p. 19.

Suzanne

There is a marked difference between fresh caught fish and the fly covered fish you saw in the market.

Thomas, I have done a lot fishing over the years (not that I'm old enough to officially say "over the years") and it doesn't take long for the wasps and flies to cover your catch. But I think your point is valid. I'd much rather eat fish that hasn't been covered by flies hanging in the open market.

What would the official age of "over the years" be?

At least 10 years older than my age at any given time.

Another example of waste, etc. tasting good: While I'm not around young kids nowadays, I can remember when it was not unusual to see a runny nose youngster with his/her tongue out licking the stuff. Gross!

Suzanne

Thats a good enough definition.

Suzanne, thank you for sharing information verifying the validity of God's prohibition against eating pork. Also, you're right, kids licking snot and eating boogers is gross. And yet we pick them up and hug and kiss them anyhow. Now that's true love. I must confess, though, that I'm glad my kids don't do it any more, although, now my grandchildren are doing it.

Superbug Suspected of Infecting People Eating Pork

British people have been infected for the first time by an animal variant of MRSA, the hospital superbug that infects more than 4,000 patients a year. Scientists revealed that 3 patients in separate hospitals were infected with the ST398 strain, which is found in factory-farmed pigs in the Netherlands. None of the humans had a close association with farm animals, raising the possibility that the superbug has entered the food chain.

Most cases of the ST398 strain have been spread to people in close contact with animals such as farmers, vets and abattoir workers, but cooks may be infected if bacteria on their hands entered a cut or a wound.

MRSA has been found in pigs in the Netherlands, Denmark, Belgium and Germany and in other farm animals such as chickens and cattle. The strain--which has caused skin infections and rare heart and bone problems in humans--is believed to have spread among pigs that were fed antibiotics to spur growth and protect them from disease. A survey by the Dutch authorities in 2006 found traces of the bug in 20% of pork products, 21% of chicken meat and 3% of beef.

No cases have been found in UK livestock but the Soil Association called for Britain to start testing meat because 2/3 of Britain's pork is imported from Holland. Professor Richard James, of the Centre for Healthcare Associated Infections at Nottingham University, backed the call. "It is a concern. We need people testing pork to see if it's there," he warned.

All three patients, who were being treated in at least 2 different Scottish hospitals, recovered. Confirming the cases, Dr. Giles Edwards, director of the Scottish MRSA Reference Laboratory, said: "A lot of the patients who got this infection in Holland and Canada have been people who work with animals, such as farmers and vets. But none of the 3 individuals in Scotland have been in contact with animals, not that we could find."

The Soil Association called on the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs to publish interim results of its teating for MRSA in pigs. "We suspect that MRSA has now been found in British pigs," said the policy adviser, Richard Young.

"ST398 is no more serious than existing strains of MRSA, but it is resistant to different antibiotics, and where it is present it will make it harder for doctors to select an effective drug quickly. In some cases, that could be the difference between life and death." --EarthSave News, June 2008.

Suzanne

Was the Bible correct that pork is truly an unclean meat?

by Dr. David Jockers

(NaturalNews) The Hebrew people have avoided pork and pig products as a dietary principle discussed in the Bible. Leviticus clearly states that pigs, because they do not chew their cud, are an unclean meat. Modern science has shown that pigs carry a very high toxic load making them unsafe for human consumption.

"And the pig, though it has a divided hoof, does not chew the cud; it is unclean for you." Leviticus 11:7.

The Bible warns the Hebrews about unclean foods and the rationale for the uncleanliness. Pigs are dirty animals that ruthlessly scavenge anything they come into contact with on the farm. Not only are they known to consume food scraps, insects and their own feces, but they will also cannibalistically eat their own dead carcasses. They have been known to kill and eat their young at times as well.

Due to their scavenger lifestyle, they harbor enormous amounts of viruses and parasites. Pigs are known to be primary carriers of the following pathogenic organisms, which can create very serious health problems:

Taenia solium tapeworm
PRRS (Porcine Reproductive and Respiratory Syndrome)
Nipah virus
Menangle virus
Hepatitis E virus (HEV)

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. This bacteria causes fever and gastrointestinal stress and could potentially cause a fatal infection.

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 24 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 that the body uses for detoxification, and the pig is not designed to perspire. When we consume pig meat, we get all of these pathogenic microorganisms and environmental toxins into our system.

Pasture-fed pork products are much safer, but still, the animal is just not designed to eliminate toxins effectively. Many of these toxins are not neutralized even with high-heat cooking methods. High-heat cooking methods produce heterocyclic amine in the meat and damages much of the essential fats, which makes the pork, ham or bacon highly carcinogenic.

Was the Bible's message to avoid consuming unclean meat necessary for reducing infection and chronic health problems? Based on the nature of pigs and the toxic load that they carry, it seems to be the best advice for optimal health.

Sources for this article include:

http://www.draxe.com

http://www.naturalnews.com

http://www.naturalnews.com

http://science.naturalnews.com

Suzanne

A Few Good Reasons To Avoid Eating Pork

by Michael Ravensthorpe

(NaturalNews) It is a well known fact that several religious texts forbid the eating of pork. According to Leviticus, the third book of Judaism's Torah and Christianity's Old Testament, pork is an "unclean" meat and is non-kosher, since pigs do not "chew the cud." Meanwhile, the eating of pork is condemned no less than four times in the Qur'an of Islam. While no direct reason is given for this condemnation, many Muslims believe that it is because pigs are disease-ridden animals.

The religious texts are correct
Though science and religion rarely share a similar perspective, there are many scientifically valid reasons for this religious condemnation of pork. Pigs really are dirty, unclean animals that eat almost anything, including rotten food, urine, feces, maggot-infested carcasses and even cancerous growths. That is the nature of the scavenger, and being raised on an organic, sustainable farm will not change that nature.

This unpleasant diet wouldn't necessarily be a problem for humans if pigs had a digestive system that effectively removed the toxins from their bodies, but therein lies the problem: They don't. Unlike ruminant animals such as cows, sheep and goats, which can take up to 24 hours to digest their vegetarian food, pigs digest their foul food within a mere four hours. This is not nearly long enough to remove excess toxins, so those toxins are stored within the fat cells and organs of the pig itself. Worse still, pigs do not have sweat glands (which are important agents for detoxification), further compounding their toxic load.

Consequently, pigs are walking vessels of parasites, viruses and other destructive organisms. A few of the many organisms that pork can transmit to humans include:

* Taenia solium -- An intestinal parasite that can cause cysticercosis (tissue infection) and loss of appetite.
* Menangle virus -- An unpleasant virus that can cause fever, rashes, chills, sweating and headaches for between 10 and 14 days.
* Hepatitis E -- A viral liver inflammation that can trigger jaundice, fatigue and nausea. Chronic instances can lead to liver fibrosis and cirrhosis.
* Trichinella -- A parasitic roundworm that can cause fever, malaise, edema and myalgia.
* Yersinia enterocolitica -- A volatile bacterium which, according to an investigation by Consumer Reports, was present in 69 percent of all raw pork samples tested. It can cause gastrointestinal distress, fever and, in the most extreme cases, fatal infections.

Moreover, unlike most other meats, there is no safe temperature at which pork can be cooked to guarantee that all these organisms and their eggs will be killed. Even freezing pork doesn't ensure that all organisms, especially certain species of worm, will be killed. As a result, even the most meticulously prepared pork will often contain harmful parasites and viruses.

Still want to eat that organic bacon?

Sources for this article include:

http://draxe.com

http://www.consumerreports.org

http://www.oie.int [PDF]

http://www.ensignmessage.com

http://science.naturalnews.com

Suzanne

Pork Linked to Liver Cirrhosis

For the first time, researchers have shown a possible link between cirrhosis of the liver and dietary factors other than alcohol. The findings of an Ottawa research team show that people who drink, even in moderation, and consume pork are more likely to suffer the potentially fatal liver disease than are those who consume other meat or fatty diets.

Dr. Amin A. Nanji, Head of Clinical Biochemistry at Ottawa General Hospital, and Samuel W. French, Chairman of the Department of Pathology at the University of Ottawa, investigated the relationship between 'per capita' consumption of total fat, beef, and pork in several countries and the mortality rates for cirrhosis of the liver in these countries. They focused their studies on countries where alcohol consumption was relatively low, such as Canada, the U.S., West Germany and Australia. Dr. Nanji says previous reports had shown a high rate of deaths from cirrhosis in countries where alcohol consumption was very high, but a "curious scatter" of deaths in countries where alcohol consumption was low.

In other words, countries with low levels of alcohol consumption showed a great variation in the incidence of cirrhosis deaths. Dr. Nanji concluded that some other factor besides alcohol must be at work. Cirrhosis of the liver is a leading cause of death in North America. In the early stages, the liver becomes inflated by fat, a condition called 'alcoholic fatty liver'. This condition can be reversed.

In the later stages of cirrhosis, normal liver tissue is gradually replaced by fibrous tissue, the liver structure becomes misshapen and disorganized and the liver cannot recover. Eventually the victim dies of liver failure. When the Ottawa team examined diets of the countries in their study, they found no relationship between deaths from cirrhosis and dietary fat or beef consumption. However, they did find a striking correlation between pork consumption and cirrhosis mortality for the same countries. When they examined the relationship in terms of pork consumption multiplied by alcohol consumption, the results were overwhelming.

The two scientists also compared data from Canada's ten provinces. Again cirrhosis mortality was significantly associated with pork, but not with alcohol consumption - presumably because Canadians as a group are not heavy drinkers. When the researchers left Newfoundland and Prince Edward Island, where more seafood is eaten, there was an even stronger link between the fatal liver disease and pork consumption.

Even more convincing to the researchers were comparisons of pork consumption and its effect on cirrhosis death rates within a population. Among the Canadian provinces where alcohol consumption varies little between provinces (from 9.23 litres per person a year in New Brunswick to 13.05 in Alberta) the death rates from cirrhosis were directly related to 'per capita' pork consumption, but not to alcohol intake.

The researchers noted that their study should not be taken to mean that alcohol does not cause liver disease, but other researchers have speculated that some "facilitating factor" might explain why only some alcoholics get cirrhosis. The Ottawa team may have found part of the answer Dr. Nanji says....By Carolyn Hoskins, from Canadian Science News, January 1986.

Suzanne

Study: more people have liver cirrhosis than previously thought

by Antonia

(NaturalNews) Researchers from the Loyola University Health System have discovered that liver cirrhosis, which can lead to liver cancer and liver failure, is more common than previously thought. After examining information from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES), they found that more than 633,000 adults are affected with the disease and that -- to their surprise -- 69 percent of the adults in this first-ever general population study about the prevalence of the disease likely weren't even aware they had liver cirrhosis. The information that was studied involved a representative sample of United States adults.(1)

In the past, estimates suggested that the number of adults with cirrhosis was approximately 400,000.(2)

Dr. Scaglione, first author of the study and an assistant professor in the departments of Medicine and Public Health Sciences of Loyola University Chicago Stritch School of Medicine, says the findings demonstrate the need for increased attention on the subject. He expresses concern, particularly involving the large percentage of those who may not even know they are affected. Of those individuals, he says "...this raises the possibility of a large number of undiagnosed cases of cirrhosis."(1)

Details of the study, plus findings about cirrhosis as it relates to education, age

The study, titled, "The Epidemiology of Cirrhosis in the United States: A Population-based Study," was published in the Journal of Clinical Gastroenterology. It states the following concerning the reason behind the study:

The aims of this study were to estimate the prevalence of cirrhosis in the general US population, determine characteristics of affected Americans with a focus on health disparities, and calculate excess mortality attributable to cirrhosis.(3)

Ultimately, the article concluded:

The prevalence of cirrhosis is higher than previously estimated. Many cases may be undiagnosed, and more than half are potentially preventable by controlling diabetes, alcohol abuse, and viral hepatitis. Public health efforts are needed to reduce this disease burden, particularly among racial/ethnic minorities and individuals at lower socioeconomic status.(3)

In addition to these findings, their research also led to other discoveries.

For example, during a two-year interval, it was found that those with cirrhosis had a mortality rate of 26.4 percent, significantly higher than the 8.4 percent mortality rate in adults who did not have cirrhosis during that same two-year timeframe.(1)

Furthermore, the study also found that those with the disease were more likely to be older and that more men than women were at risk for developing cirrhosis.(1)

Education levels were also linked to prevalence of the disease. The higher the level of education, the more likely a decline in cirrhosis existed compared to poorer individuals.(1)

Finally, it was found that a quarter of people with cirrhosis reported drinking large quantities of alcohol the year before, half of which also tested positive for the hepatitis C virus.(1)

In fact, alcohol abuse was one of three common factors in over 50 percent of the cirrhosis cases, something which Dr. Scaglione says has the potential to be prevented. Diabetes and hepatitis C were the other two contributing factors.(1)

Recognizing the symptoms and changing eating habits beneficial to health

According to the Mayo Clinic, fatigue, appetite loss, leg swelling, jaundice, and bruising easily are some of the many symptoms that one with cirrhosis may experience. Those with the disease can face a range of health complications including a buildup of toxins in the brain that can lead to coma, gallstones, abdominal swelling and liver cancer. The clinic states that when it comes to liver cirrhosis, if caught early enough can be treated, but that "the liver damage done by cirrhosis can't be undone."(4,5,6)

To help prevent cirrhosis, it may be worth exploring dietary changes.

Foods that contribute to a healthy-functioning liver include cruciferous items such as cauliflower and broccoli, sea vegetables, sprouted seeds, nuts, beans and grains, and garlic. OF course increased consumption of water and less alcohol is also advised -- sound advice for overall health, not just for the liver.(7)

Sources:

(1) http://www.sciencedaily.com

(2) http://www.newswise.com

(3) http://journals.lww.com

(4) http://www.mayoclinic.org

(5) http://www.mayoclinic.org

(6) http://www.mayoclinic.org

(7) http://www.rodalenews.com

Suzanne