3 Reasons Why Pork Is Bad For You

3 Reasons Why Pork Is Bad For You

 

3 Reasons Why Pork Is Bad For You

As Americans become more aware of the consequences of a poor diet, we begin to look at many of our popular foods under a microscope. As a result, what was once a staple food of our grandparents might be shunned by the next generation who embrace newly discovered superfood alternatives.

Before you click away, thinking this is another biased article that bashes one food or another, I want to inform readers that despite the title, this article will educate you on the history of pork agriculture, as well as science-based citations of the quality of the meat. It will be up to you to conclude whether this is a food you want to keep in your diet or not.

What I will say is this. MD Diet has been around for over 40 years. We have always told our clients to avoid pork while on the high-protein diet, and the HCG diet also forbids it. We do allow pork in the keto diet and our lifestyle plans. Pork is obviously not desired in our plant-based diets.

How did pork become so popular? What is the history behind America’s favorite meat source? Is it good for you or not? We will briefly discuss the moral and ethical topics surrounding pork production for the masses. 3 Reasons Why Pork Is Bad For You

1. History of pork

Ancient vs. conventional wisdom

Let’s talk about the history of this meat. In many ancient and modern religious practices, Pork was banned because they were considered unclean animals to eat. In ancient times, it was considered common knowledge for many cultures that eating pork would lead to illness and disease. 3 Reasons Why Pork Is Bad For You

This “uncleanliness” could come from many reasons spanning from the fact that pigs do not sweat, to the fact that they have a rapid digestive system that leaves many toxins in the body. Now I already told you I would not be biased in this article. I am going to talk about opinions on both sides of the industry. This is especially important to consider the source, when it comes to the cleanliness of pig meat. 3 Reasons Why Pork Is Bad For You

If you look at what is being published by pig farmers or investors they will say things like “Pigs do not sweat but they are able to rid themselves of heat in other ways such as via their skin and through respiration. Because an animal does not sweat does not mean toxins build up in the body. Most pigs are fed highly balanced, nutritionally fortified diets and are kept in climate controlled facilities.” – Swineextension. org 

If you look at what is being published by the health, fitness, science, and medical communities you will see things suggesting that consuming pork can lead to Hepatitis E, Multiple Sclerosis, Liver Cancer, Cirrhosis, Yersinia (worms), and other issues like heart disease associated with red meat consumption. This is due to many reasons, including the pigs physiology, diet, environment, and more.

Even the CDC warns of the risk of eating pork being associated with increased risk of swine flu if handled improperly. They do also say that you won’t get swine flu from the consumption of properly prepared and handled pig meat. So if you plan on having pork, at least make sure it was handled and prepared properly. 3 Reasons Why Pork Is Bad For You

Figure 1

The ancient religious dietary guidelines taught that we should avoid eating pork because the animals were unclean. Conventional modern wisdom argues back and forth. Some marketing campaigns have even said that pork is a white meat, which would absolve the consumer from the associated risks of eating red meat. Just a reminder, pork was and always has been red meat.

Rate of consumption

Up until about the 20th century, pork consumption was much lower (statistically speaking) worldwide than it is today. After industrial farming took the world by storm, humans ramped up their systems to process more meat to keep up with the higher demands of a population that was growing in size and wealth. 3 Reasons Why Pork Is Bad For You

 

Mass production agricultural farming became the new norm. For better or worse, which will be discussed more in depth at the end of this article. The interesting thing to take note of, is that pork meat and poultry were the two that saw the biggest increase. This makes sense given how popular and affordable both of them are for the consumer.

2. Health benefits

Pork has more or less the same macros as beef. It all depends on the cut you get and the sourcing of the animal. The real difference between America’s two most popular red meats is the micronutrient profiles of each. Beef typically has much more nutrients such as Iron, B vitamins, and other essential nutrients than pork. 3 Reasons Why Pork Is Bad For You

When it comes down to getting the most bang for your buck. You are better off choosing a leaner cut of beef that is packed full of micronutrients, rather than a higher fat lower nutrient cut of pork. Some of your leanest options for protein will actually be some of the following. Many of which include much more protein and micronutrients than pork does.

  • Collagen
  • Shrimp
  • Alligator
  • Crab
  • Lobster
  • Tilapia
  • Kangaroo
  • Egg Whites
  • Chicken
  • Deer
  • Rabbit
  • Clams
  • Geese
  • Flounder
  • Boar
  • Scallops
  • Supplements
  • Greek Yogurt
  • Skyr

As Americans and others around the world eat an increasingly higher amount of pork. It is alarming to see the correlated increase in obesity and health issues. See Figure 2 and 3. Now this doesn’t mean that one causes another. It would be far too one dimensional to think that pork alone is responsible for the obesity epidemic. If you have been paying attention to previous articles, then you would know that the ultimate factor in whether we gain or lose body fat comes down to our calories. 3 Reasons Why Pork Is Bad For You

 

Figure 2

Figure 3It is safe to say that the rates of pork production and obesity have trended upward at the same rate. Similar to many of our increasing deadly diseases such as heart disease, cancer, etc. This could be related to the above noted issues in pork meat, it could be from all the changes in lifestyle that westerners have experienced, and it could be a combination of both.

3. Ethical reasons

Production

By now we have all heard of how terrible life is for a factory farm animal. I don’t think I need to go into the graphic detail of this industry to remind readers of this point. Instead, I want to take this moment to remind and encourage readers to source their animal based proteins from ethical sources whenever possible. 3 Reasons Why Pork Is Bad For You

Preferably source your meat from a small local farmer with a proven ethical track record. Unfortunately, even if you try to buy pork that says “free range” on it. The USDA does not regulate this label for pigs, meaning the company it is coming from can put that label on the food without having actually allowed that animal to live outside of a cage.

Intelligence, and humanlike behavior

You already have heard about the conditions in factory farms, but have you heard of the intelligence of pigs? I am not talking about how everyone says “Pigs are smarter than a dog or toddler.” Which happens to be true according to many studies and the Humane Society of the United States. 3 Reasons Why Pork Is Bad For You

What I am talking about is pigs ability to display human-like empathy in emotional situations. This is called the “Bystander Effect” and it was discovered in pigs in a recent study in November 2022. 3 Reasons Why Pork Is Bad For You

The study examines the scenario of one pig bullying another pig. Let’s call the bully pig one, and the victim pig 2. The bystander pig will be pig three. It was observed that pig three would feel the need to step in and involve themselves in the conflict between pig one and pig two if there were no other pigs around to intervene. Just like how humans typically would if they were the only witness to an injustice between two humans.

3 Reasons Why Pork Is Bad For You

Not only will they bystander pig step it and get involved with resolving the conflict. The bystander pig would choose to either calm down the bully pig, or comfort the victim pig. This social observation was concluded with the resolution of all three pigs returning to normal behavior. 3 Reasons Why Pork Is Bad For You

The  newly discovered bystander effect is a very fascinating look into the social dynamics of pigs and their overall intelligence. I find it fascinating that they are not only able to solve complex puzzles and learn better than dogs. They are also able to show and recognize a wide range of emotions. 3 Reasons Why Pork Is Bad For You

What do you think?

Is pork bad for you, or is it something you want to eat in moderation? Do you think you will choose to keep eating pork after reading this? I hope this article was insightful and empowering to you. Our goal at the clinic is to empower each of our patients to make better choices with their bodies and long term health.

Knowing more about the food we eat is a major part of the decision making process.

To sum it up

  1. The history of pork goes back to the banning of its consumption in ancient times due to its uncleanliness.
  2. The rate of pork consumption has skyrocketed since the industrial revolution and continues to trend upwards.
  3. Pork meat is red meat. However, it is generally fattier than beef and not as rich in micronutrients. Making beef a better choice for individuals who are watching their weight or concerned about their health.
  4. Mass factory farming is still horrible. Even after some more advances and regulations have been put into place. Try to opt for small local farmers with a proven track record.
  5. Pigs are not only intelligent, they also show human-like empathy and emotions.

Our clinic has been around for over 40 years and has helped thousands of people change their lives. Since the beginning our diets have had clients avoid pork. MD Diet has been ahead of the curve on many health and diet trends. Come see what makes us different, call us today to get started! 801-758-2130