Superbugs. You guys have heard of them, right? They are antibiotic resistant critters that are dramatically on the rise, virtually impossible to treat and very, very life-threatening. Superbugs are such an issue that the Infectious Diseases Society of America has declared antibiotic resistance a “public health crisis”.

Scar-eee!

So what do we do to protect ourselves from being exposed to these baneful bacteria?

Well, if you ain't eating organic, hormone-free and antibiotic-free animal products yet… this should get you on the bandwagon:

According to research by the Union of Concerned Scientists, seventy percent (yes, that's seven zero) of ALL antibiotics in the United States go to healthy livestock and that’s one MAJOR reason we’re seeing the rise of antibiotic resistant pathogens AKA superbugs!

Wow.

Here's the deal, farmers give antibiotics to HEALTHY animals so that they can pile in the animals on their farm while keeping them in feces-infested, overcrowded, get me the hell outta here unsanitary conditions. Yuck.

Now, you don't have to give up your fave meat, egg and milk dishes… just go organic! For cryin' out loud, I think it's worth it. Not only will you be healthier, but you'll also be supporting farmers who treat their livestock with some dignity!

Be nice to farm animals… they're cute and sweet, and really, what did they ever do to you?

And, here's an interesting bit of trivia for ya… grass-fed cows NEVER get mad-cow disease. Know why? Because they eat grass… whereas the typical American Cow who's got no room to move and standing in his cell mates poop, eats “feed” which not only contains antibiotics, but also can contains ground up bits of some of his less fortunate (maybe?) cow-friends who didn't survive the harsh “living” conditions. It's these ground up dead cow bits that contain the mad-cow disease causing agent. Yup. Gross, I know. But, definitely something worth knowing. Read more about this topic here.

If you want to check out the article that inspired me to write this particular blog, read: Pathogens in our Pork.

Happy Friday!