Chickens Are Eating Arsenic? Time to Buy Organic

Prozac. Tylenol. Benadryl. Though these may sound like the contents of a medicine cabinet, they are in fact the chemicals that are being routinely fed to industrially farmed chickens. According to Nicholas Kristof’s New York Times article, it gets worse: researchers have also discovered the presence of arsenic and banned antibiotics in poultry feathers.

As it turns out, feeding chickens trace amounts of arsenic reduces infections and improves the pinkish hue of the meat. Though there’s no evidence yet that these low levels of arsenic are harmful, the practice is still illegal in the E.U. and Canada. Maryland became the first state in the U.S. to ban arsenic in chicken feed.

As for Prozac, Tylenol, and Benadryl, Kristof reports that they are all used as sedatives to reduce anxiety among factory-farmed chickens. Crowded and often brutal conditions result in birds that are in constant distress, a state that stunts their growth and results in tougher meat. To counteract the drowsiness caused by these sedatives, chickens are also fed caffeine so they can stay awake longer and continue eating.

From a global health perspective, most disturbing is the industry’s use of illegal antibiotics. For years, scientists have argued that the practice – developed because the drugs stimulate growth and compensate for the filthy, germ-ridden conditions the animals live in – has contributed to the rapid growth of antibiotic-resistant bacteria. According the Infectious Diseases Society of America, these “superbugs” already kill more Americans every year than AIDS and could be catastrophic in the future. To fight this emerging health crisis, a federal judge just ordered the FDA to move forward on removing antibiotics from animal feed.

*In more current sources, today, arsenic is sold as a pesticide, and it is added to some commercial chicken feed to kill certain molds and fungi that afflict chickens, especially those raised in unhealthy manners. It shows up in the chicken itself, and in the eggs. It can also find its way into the water supplies, and into all pig products, as they are fed chicken “byproducts”.

*It was, and perhaps is used in the beer and wine industries, and wine is often contaminated with it to some degree. It is also used as a pesticide on rice, especially in the Orient. It can be used on other fruits and some vegetables and tobacco, for example.

*SYMPTOMS OF ARSENIC TOXICITY

These are often vague, but arsenic is a powerful nerve and enzyme poison. It is associated with hundreds of symptoms, beginning with what may be called malaise, fatigue, vague aches and pains, weakness, dizziness and many neurological symptoms. It can also cause blood disorders such as anemias, blood sugar disorders, and is implicated in several forms of cancer.

*Specific toxic symptoms include:

enzyme inhibition
anorexia
weakness
diarrhea
edema
keratosis
impaired healing
dermatitis
stomatitis
liver dysfunction
hair loss
sore throat
kidney damage
vasodilation
peripheral neuritis
goiter
vitiligo
fluid loss
headache
vertigo
muscle spasm
stupor
fever
pallor
jaundice
abdominal pain
herpes
abnormal ECG
interferes with uptake of folic acid
inhibition of sulfhydryl enzymes

Why are we eating animals that were unnaturally fattened, artificially pigmented, have suffered miserably, and are rendering antibiotics – arguably the most life-saving discovery in medical history – obsolete? It’s just not worth it.

Now more than ever, it’s time to buy organic meat that was humanely raised and fed a vegetarian diet free of hormones and antibiotics. Navigating the meat aisle can be confusing, so when in doubt, choose “certified organic.”

Organic meat is definitely more expensive than factory-farmed meat, so if cost is a concern, you can balance out your weekly meals by adding more vegetarian options. Start with Meatless Mondays — I’ve been practicing this for years, now — and see how going meat-free works for you!

Will this news affect your meat-eating habits?

*Source: Natural Health Protocol