Meat, antibiotic resistance & the gut

The human microbiome is not only exposed to antibiotics via medical use but the utilization of antibiotics in farm animals and crops. When we are overly exposed to antibiotics this has a negative effect on reducing our good bacteria as it kills not only the bad bacteria.

Conventionally farmed chicken is fed a diet of grain laced with antibiotics as a preventive measure to stop the spread of diseases as they are kept in such close contact to each other in poor unsanitary conditions. They are often fed hormones to help them grow at a fast pace, these hormones can have other negative effects on our health but this is for another whole other blog.

281 tonnes of antibiotics are used every year in chicken factory farms which means every time we eat chicken or eggs from factory farms, we are being exposed to these antibiotics. Only chicken marked organic is fed a diet that doesn’t include antibiotics. All cheap supermarket poultry, restaurants and fast food chains use factory farmed chicken.

Being exposed to this factory farmed meat, using regular medical antibiotics and excessive use of hand sanitisers can all lead to antibiotic resistance, so what does this all mean? Antibiotic resistance occurs when bacteria change in some way that causes them to become unaffected by prescription drugs, chemicals or other antibacterial agents. This is a serious risk because these drugs are intended to cure or prevent infections, but they end up being useless and ineffective.

Not only putting you at risk of antibiotic resistance but also at risk of poor gut health. The more of this cheap antibiotic ridden poultry we eat the more we damage the balance of our microbiome, this can lead to UTI’s, poor immune function, poor digestive health and poor mental health.

My top 3 tips:

·         Eat smaller amounts of organic good quality meat from trusted farms, I love Able & Cole.

·         When you go out for dinner, choose vegetarian options or fish dishes.

·         Practice good hygiene and wash your hands with hot water and soap instead of using anti-bacterial gel.

If you want more advice then drop me a message or book in for a free 15 minute discovery call.