Table of contents:
- What kind of pork is usually eaten?
- Be aware of the risks of pork before eating it
- 1. Colorectal cancer
- 2. Liver disease
- 3. Hepatitis E
- 4. Worms
- Is there any way to prevent the bad risks of pork?
Pork is one of the most processed foods around the world thanks to its high nutritional content and delicious taste. Unfortunately, even though there are various nutrients contained in this meat, there are still some risks that may arise if you are not careful when eating it.
What are the risks of eating pork to be aware of? Check out the following reviews.
What kind of pork is usually eaten?
Source: Seious Eats
Unlike wild boar or wild boar meat, which is usually eaten pork is meat obtained from pig farms.
In other words, this meat is also obtained from pigs that are cared for and raised so that it is not much different from the case with chickens, cows, goats, and also other animals that are commonly bred.
Almost the same as meat in general, the meat of this fat animal also contains a variety of nutrients. In 100 grams (gr) of fresh pork, there are 453 calories (cal), 11.9 grams of protein, and 45 grams of fat.
Some of the minerals in pork are 7 milligrams (mg) calcium, 117 mg phosphorus, 1.8 mg iron, 112 mg sodium, 819.3 mg potassium, 0.22 mg copper, and 0.4 mg zinc.
Be aware of the risks of pork before eating it
The results of research published by Consumer Reports suggest that pork has a risk of bacterial contaminationYersinia enterocoliticawhich is dangerous. If they enter the human body, these bacteria can cause fever and diseases of the digestive tract. Symptoms that appear include diarrhea, vomiting, and stomach cramps.
In addition, the meat of this fat animal is also quite difficult to digest. When you eat this meat, it takes about six hours for the digestive system to process and digest each piece. That is why, consumption of this one animal meat can slow down the body's digestive process.
Not only that, there are still several other risks that you need to be aware of before eating this meat. Here are some of the risks:
1. Colorectal cancer
According to the World Health Organization or WHO, processed processed pork such as ham, bacon, and sausages can be a trigger for cancer. Researchers found that consuming 50 grams of processed meat every day can increase the risk of developing colorectal cancer.
Colorectal cancer is a type of cancer that grows in the large intestine (colon) or rectum. One of the most visible symptoms is diarrhea, constipation, abdominal pain after defecating, bleeding from the anus, dark stools, stomach cramps, drastic weight loss.
2. Liver disease
Apart from causing colorectal cancer, a study has found strong evidence between pork consumption and liver disease. This is caused by compounds N-nitroso, which is found in many processed meat products that are cooked at high temperatures.
A study published in the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, found that consumption of pork is one of the causes for the high number of people with cirrhosis and liver cancer worldwide.
The study states that in addition to frequent drinking (alcoholism) and being infected with hepatitis, the meat of these obese animals seems to have its own place as a strong cause of liver disease.
3. Hepatitis E
Pork products, especially the liver, often carry the hepatitis E virus, which can cause severe complications and risk being fatal. If you are not clean enough when processing and cooking pork, you are more susceptible to infection with the hepatitis E virus.
This virus can later cause fever, fatigue, jaundice, vomiting, joint pain, stomach pain, enlarged liver, kidney failure, and even death.
In some rare cases, hepatitis E infection can lead to myocarditis (inflammation of the heart muscle), acute pancreatitis (inflammation of the pancreas), neurological disorders (problems with the brain and nervous system), blood disorders, to musculoskeletal disorders (attacking joints, muscles, nerves, ligaments, and spine).
4. Worms
Eat pork that has been contaminated with worm larvae trichinella can cause intestinal worms or trichinosis. Not only that, you can also get taeniasis infection which is caused by the larvae of the tapeworm Taenia solium.
All these worm infections are usually acquired when you eat pork that is raw or not fully cooked. The reason is, the worm parasites tend to be difficult to die even though they have gone through the cooking process. This is one of the reasons why there are many calls not to eat the meat of this animal which is still half cooked.
When you have trichinosis, you may experience stomach pain, diarrhea, fatigue, nausea, and vomiting. In fact, a week after eating infected meat, the adult female worms are now in your body producing larvae which enter your bloodstream and eventually enter muscle or other tissue.
Once worm infestation occurs, symptoms of infection include headache, high fever, general weakness, muscle aches and tenderness, red eyes (conjunctivitis), sensitivity to light, and swelling of the eyelids or face.
Is there any way to prevent the bad risks of pork?
If you want to eat pork, you should pay attention to some of these things before processing, cooking, or eating it to keep it safe for you.
- Choose fresh meat, not processed and packaged at the factory to avoid the risk of cancer.
- When cooking meat, use a meat thermometer to make sure it reaches the right temperature, which can kill harmful bacteria. Make sure you cook to a temperature of at least 71 degrees Celsius.
- Separate this meat from other raw foods in the kitchen to avoid contamination.
- Wash your hands with soap and running water after handling this meat.
Choose pork and other meat products that are farmed without using drugs. One way to do this is to buy certified organic meat, from animals raised without antibiotics or ractopamine.
