The gastrointestinal tract ingests, breaks down, and excretes the food we eat everyday. It follows a system in order to make sure we can get the most nutrients and benefits out of the food. When a foreign substance such as antibiotics is introduced into that system, the body interacts in an interesting way...
Farmers can administer the antibiotics to their animals through the feed or by intramuscular injection. They do this for a number of reasons:
On farms, the animals are sometimes kept in small, crowded living areas where sickness can spread very quickly. To combat this, they will give their animals antibiotics to keep them healthy.
In order to be efficient and get the most out of their livestock, they inject them with antibiotics to grow faster.
A study found that 50% of all antibiotics made in the world are for livestock!
How does this impact us and our food?
When we eat things such as meat, eggs, or milk we are at risk for consuming the antibiotics that were meant for the animals. When this happens:
The antibiotics can kill not only the harmful bacteria in our GI tract, but the beneficial bacteria as well. The beneficial bacteria helps our body break down things such as dietary fiber and complex carbohydrates.
Antibiotic resistance can occur within our bodies. Over time, the bacteria in our bodies can become so resistant to antibiotics that they do not respond in any way to them. So if antibiotic intervention is needed in order to get rid of harmful bacteria, there might not be an effective treatment available.
How can we limit our food's negative impact on our bodies?
Due to the use of animal manure, soil can have antibiotic presence as well. Because of this, it is important to wash fruits and vegetables thoroughly in order to wash off contaminated soil.
Buy products that have labels such as, "USDA organic" or "raised withut antibiotics". This lessens the risk of ingesting antibiotics
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