mad cow follow-up

[Guest guest]

The following is the follow-up which I referred to. Many of you are

probably cognizant of the contents and it's ramifications,

but it is worth reinforcing the knowledge and reacting to it

appropriately ....... I am not a vegetarian, but maybe is is a

reasonable option, in the short run anyway, until something can be done

to replace the unrelenting greed of those in search for

excessive profits with responsibility towards fellow humans and

acceptance of reasonable profits.

Morton

 

drjoncat wrote:

 

 

After my article on Mad Cow disease I received over 300 responses. I

regret that time does not permit me to respond

individually. After reading a lot of research, I am convinced the

problem is not nearly as isolated as we are led to believe.

 

All over the country young steers, weighing 200-300 lbs. are sold to

feed lots. In a matter of a few months these slender,

healthy animals are transformed into fat, frequently diseased,

animals, weighing 600-800 lbs., ready for market.

 

Feeding cattle diets of starchy, high-calorie grain produces more

steak but gives the animals disorders that must be treated

with antibiotics and other drugs.

 

Cattle being readied for the slaughterhouse are typically put on diets

that are 90% grain and the remains of previously

slaughtered cows, pigs and sheep . . . bones, brains, spleen and

whatever is notprofitable to sell. This makes them gain

weight quickly and produce meat with the tasty marbling of fat so

beloved by steak eaters.

 

This is similar to the massive fraud in the herbal industry. Wild

crafted echinacea takes four years to mature. One can use

high powered fertilizer and pesticides to accelerate maturity in two

years. The plants look better and are almost twice the

size. This translates into far more revenue. The problem is that

although the plant looks great, it is almost worthless and may

be dangerous due to pesticide contamination. James X. Hartman, Ph.D.,

professor of biology at Florida Atlantic University,

examined the " off the shelf " echinacea vs. wild crafted in his bio

assay system. The commercial product had only 10% of the

activity. One can read his article at:

http://cat007.com/hart.htm

 

The problem, said James B. Russell, a Department of Agriculture

researcher at Cornell University, is that nature designed

cattle to feed on grass and other high fiber foods. An all grain diet

makes them sick, he said in a study appearing Friday in

the journal Science.

 

``When you feed cattle 90 or 100 percent grain, it creates an acidosis

in the ruman (stomach) and the ruman wall becomes

ulcerated,'' said Russell. Bacteria, such as Fusobacterium

necrophorum, migrate through the ulcers and end up in the liver

where they cause abscesses.

 

``At least 13 percent of the animals in feedlots have liver abscesses,

some as big as your thumb, which means the livers have

to be discarded as unfit for human consumption,'' he said.

 

To limit this problem, feedlot operators give the animals antibiotics

to suppress F. necorphorum and other bacteria.

 

``If they didn't give antibiotics, about 75 percent of the animals'

livers would be abscessed,'' said Russell.

 

Forty percent of the antibiotics sold are used for cattle. For years

I have warned that chronic use of antibiotics is very

dangerous. Your system can develop an immunity which may render an

antibiotic useless should you be in a life threatening

situation where only an antibiotic can save your life.

 

High grain diets cause other problems, such as bloating and liver

failure, and Russell estimated that about three out of every

1,000 cattle in a feed lot die of grain-related disorders.

 

High levels of grain in the cattle diet, said Russell, cause a slow

and sluggish movement of food through the animal. This

allows the starchy grain to build up high levels of acid in the ruman

and the acid causes the ulcers.

 

The researcher said that about half of the bicarbonate of sodaproduced

in the U.S. is fed to cattle to partially neutralize the

acid from high grain diets. The industry also use lime placed in the

animal feed. Russell said that cattle are healthiest when

they are fed diets that include grass, hay or other high fiber

matter. This prompts the animal's gut to work properly, limits the

production of acid and allows the animals to gain weight without the

need for antibiotics against liver abscesses.

 

But grass and hay are low in nutrition, compared to grain, and it

takes months longer for cattle to reach market weight, said

Russell.

 

In my previous letter I mentioned that Mad Cow disease had not been

found in the Orient. I was mistaken. A few cases

have been verified in Japan.

 

As most of you know, I provided the funding for The Generic Co-Op.

http://cat007.com/meow.htm

 

After learning so much about this problem I contacted one of their

major laboratories which provides the " CA " (Certificate

of

Authenticity) on many of their products. I spoke to David Tan. He

assured me that all cattle products (gelatin, collagen and

chondroitin) were of Chinese origin. A sister company, in Taiwan,

produces millions of bottles of nutritional products for the

Chinese market. Mr. Tan said, " Chinese will not buy any animal

product supplements from Europe or the USA. "

 

If you are using Internet Explorer, type in " mad cow disease " in the

address field. You will find hundreds of scientific articles

which clearly show this problem is far more widespread that we are

told.

 

I read of one interesting study which examined the relative health of

kids in Oriental areas where a McDonalds was

introduced. Within ten years the children's health declined. From

slender and healthy many became much like Western kids

. . . overweight and far more likely to be chronically ill.

 

The undeniable fact is that commerce is revenue/profit driven. I

doubt we will see many nutritional manufacturers switching

to the more expensive Oriental cattle products for their gelatin,

chondroitin or collagen. My advice would be to switch to

veg-caps from your current gelatin capsules, even though it will cost

more. Alternatively, insist that any cattle derived

products clearly state, " of Oriental origin. "

 

I still believe the risk is relatively small. However, why take a

risk if one cannot afford to lose?

 

The best idea is to substitute fish or poultry for beef and buy only

organically raised veggies.

 

I have eaten my last Big Mac.

 

Jon

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