Be alert, the dangers of consuming 'injected chicken' meat & bull; hello healthy

Maybe you often hear that domestic chickens on the market have been injected with hormones to make it bigger. But did you know that eating chicken that has been injected with hormones before can be harmful to health?

Why do manufacturers inject hormones in chickens ??

Hormone is a chemical substance that is naturally produced by the human body, even animals produce it. Hormones are released or produced by the body to help the body regulate and control various body functions, such as growth, development and reproduction. Not only in humans, hormones can also help rapid growth and development in animals. Not only can the size of livestock increase rapidly, animals such as cows, goats, sheep, and chickens that are injected with hormones produce more milk in cows, and eggs in chickens.

This of course can benefit the producers or breeders because they do not have to wait a long time to be able to 'harvest' and can reduce livestock costs. But on the other hand, consumers are even disadvantaged due to the use of these hormones and antibiotics. Hormones in food sources such as chicken, beef, and so on have a negative impact on health. Hormones that are often injected into chickens or cows are steroid hormones, in the form of estrogen, progesterone, and testosterone. In humans, this hormone is a hormone that regulates and deals with the reproductive system. Therefore, eating meat or food sources that contain hormones can interfere with health, especially reproductive health.

The effects of eating hormone-injected chicken meat

1. Accelerate puberty in girls

Lately, many girls experience premature puberty. In the past, it was thought that girls would experience their first menstruation starting at the age of 12. But now, girls who are 8 years old are already menstruating. This is indeed caused by various factors, one of which is diet. Frequent consumption of food sources containing steroid hormones can cause this. According to research conducted by Cornell University, children who frequently eat chicken or beef who were previously injected with hormones have a higher chance of experiencing premature menstruation.

Other research conducted in University of Brighton involved as many as 3000 adolescent girls and found that as many as 49% of the respondents consumed domestic chicken at least 12 servings a week. It is also known that they have had menstruation since the age of 7. Meanwhile, as many as 35% of female adolescents who consume less than 4 servings of domestic chicken meat in one week, experience their first menstruation at the age of 12 years. This is caused by the hormone estrogen which is often used to make farm chickens grow faster and bigger in a fast time. The hormone estrogen itself, functions to regulate the menstrual cycle in women.

2. Increase the risk of developing breast cancer

Hormones found in food can also increase the risk of breast cancer in women. One of the causes of breast cancer is an imbalance of hormones in the body. When eating chicken or beef that has been injected with hormones before, this will further make hormone levels in the body abnormal or abnormal. This in turn increases a woman's risk of developing breast cancer.

3. Increases the risk of prostate cancer in men

The results of research conducted by the Institute for Molecular Bioscience, University of Queensland has shown that reducing the consumption of hormone-containing foods can lower the risk of developing prostate cancer. Conversely, increasing consumption of food sources that have been previously injected with hormones, increases the risk of developing prostate cancer.

How do you choose healthy chicken meat?

In fact, Food and Drug Administratition (FDA) has given permission to use steroid hormones for use in livestock, but it is not recommended for use in poultry. The Food and Drug Administration (BPOM) has banned the sale of chicken meat that has been previously injected with hormones because it can be harmful to the body. Even so, your body still needs protein from animal food sources such as chicken. It's just that you need to be vigilant and choose well the food ingredients that will be consumed. Then how do you choose good and healthy chicken meat?

• Buy chicken at the market or butcher shop that is certified and kept clean.
• Choose a meat color that is bright in color, looks fresh, is not dark or bluish, does not smell foul and slimy, and looks moist.
• If the chicken is packaged, then choose the packaging that is intact, clean, and labeled. Make sure the packaging is undamaged and has not expired.
• We recommend that you buy meat that is stored in the refrigerator or freezer, to avoid bacteria that grow on these chickens.