Unapologetically Muslim

The Harmful Effects of Eating Pork

When I tell people that I can't eat bacon, ham, or any pork product, the response I usually get is "omg I feel so bad for you!" Or "that's too bad, bacon tastes amazing!" And even "gee, sucks to be you."

And honestly, I believe people when they say bacon tastes amazing, or that pepperoni is the best pizza topping to ever exist. I do think that pork can actually taste good. But guess what? So does chicken. So does ice cream. So do samosas, kebab, tandoori, haleem, pad thai noodles, and practically every iftaar meal that I've ever had in my life.

Alhamdulillah (thank God) I have access to hundreds and hundreds of foods that are not only insanely delicious and irresistible, but are also much healthier and cleaner than any pork product that has ever existed.

Yes, pork is considered to be the unhealthiest out of all the red meats (beef, chicken, turkey, duck), according to a number of sources. So you can love your bacon all you want, and eat as much pepperoni pizza as you please, but neither will change the fact that consuming it can actually increase your risk of catching all sorts of life-threatening diseases, including heart disease and multiple different cancers. 

According to Psychology Today, countless studies have shown strong correlations between pork consumption and liver disease, cancer, and multiple sclerosis.

Researchers from the World Health Organization say that eating about 50 grams of processed pork a day can increase your chances of getting cancer by as much as 18% (quite a lot! 😳). But how much is 50 grams? That's equivalent to only four strips of bacon.

That's right. Eating only four strips of bacon a day can raise your cancer risk by nearly twenty percent! And eating only two raises your chances nearly ten percent! Four strips of bacon have a total of 240 calories- with eight grams of saturated fat and 880 mg of sodium. (220 mg per strip)

But what makes pig meat a greater health hazard than other forms of meat? Well, when you think of a pig, what kind of picture usually comes to mind? If you're not sure, perhaps this description from draxe.com can help you out. 

"No matter how you think about it, pigs are rather dirty animals. They're considered the garbage eliminators of the farm, often eating literally anything they can find. This includes not only bugs, insects, and whatever leftover scraps they find lying around, but also their own feces, as well as the dead carcasses of sick animals, including their own young."

Ah, yes. Eating animals that consume their own poop and play in their own dirt and filth definitely won't pose any health risks–let alone animals that like eating the dead bodies of their infected family members. What a healthy, beautiful life choice you bacon-lovers are making!

But we're not done here! In addition, pigs were also the root cause of some of the deadliest disease outbreaks in history, including the 2009 Swine Influenza Pandemic–which killed more than 500,000 people worldwide. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, H1N1 and H3N2 are swine flu viruses that are "endemic among pig populations in the United States and something that the industry deals with routinely." Outbreaks can occur year-round. H1N1 has been observed in pig populations since at least 1930, while H3N2 began in the United States around 1998." (Axe, 2016)

If you're interested in learning more about the harmful effects of eating pork, feel free to check out the sources I've listed at the end of this chapter. There is actually a lot more information out there about the dangers of pork consumption, and it would take me forever to try to fit all that information in just one chapter. 

There are several verses from the Quran instructing us on what foods to eat and what foods to avoid. Verse 2:168 says, "Oh mankind, eat from whatever is on earth [that is] lawful and good." And verse 2:172 says, "He has forbidden to you dead animals, blood, the flesh of swine, and that which has been dedicated to other than Allah" (meaning it didn't follow the Halal guidelines of slaughter). 

Based on all these studies I've mentioned, it's quite clear that there is great wisdom is God's rulings. He doesn't forbid us from something simply because He can, but because He knows what is best for us and wants us to live our lives in the best way possible. We have complete freedom in deciding whether we want to follow His commands or not, and if we choose not to, we would have to bare the consequences of that. 

SOURCES:

Axe, Dr. J. (2016, Oct. 1) "Pork: Why You Should Avoid Pork and Pork Alternatives." Dr. Axe: Food is Medicine. Retrieved from: https://draxe.com/why-you-should-avoid-pork/

Jamiet, P; Jamiet, S. (2012, Feb. 2) "Is Pork Still Dangerous?" Psychology Today. Retrieved from: https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/perfect-health-diet/201202/is-pork-still-dangerous

McQueen, J. (u.d) "The Truth About Bacon." Web MD. Retrieved from: https://www.webmd.com/diet/features/truth-about-bacon#1