Chicken is a popular food item consumed all over the world. Meat is a primary protein source, and chicken is the cheapest compared to beef or seafood. Studies show that India, China, and the United States are the countries with the most significant chicken consumption rate to date. On a smaller scope, the Middle East Poultry market is known to be fragmented across many players with no dominant enterprise. By 2021, the meat market in the Middle East had witnessed a 10% growth rate, with five major companies making up 7.49% of the market. Countries like Bahrain and Saudi Arabia are major producers and consumers, with 4% and 1.64% growth rates, respectively.
The poultry sector began introducing the use of antibiotics in animals in 1951 to maintain production, control infectious diseases, and meet the increase in demand. In reality, when these enterprises administer small dosages of antibiotics, it often leads to the development of bacteria to resist the antibiotics used. Over the years, this mechanism has jeopardized and impacted the nutritious cycle of animals and our ecosystems.
Most consumers do not know what the food industry terms found on poultry items even mean. The American non-profit Chicken National Council (CNC) explains the different kinds of chicken being sold in supermarkets:
– Free-range chickens: It’s a case-by-case label; it usually refers to chickens permitted to go outside for some parts of the day instead of being held in a warehouse for processing.
– Farm-raised: Chicken raised on local farms.
– Natural: The product lacks any artificial ingredients, biological alterations, and chemical preservations.
– Organic: To be labeled organic on the packaging, a chicken must abide by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) rules. However, this label does not imply the product is healthier in any range than traditionally grown chickens.
– Antibiotics-Free: A no-antibiotic program relies on alternative tools to raise healthy chickens. Some poultry enterprises usually rely on a set of tools to keep their chickens healthy. Some of these tools are nutrition plans, probiotics, and vaccines.
Some facilities also rely on structured air circulation, temperature control, and training programs for farmers and on-site technicians. Nevertheless, in some cases, chickens get sick, and antibiotics are used or needed. Only chickens who haven’t been sick can be labeled as successfully raised without antibiotics.
Impact of Antibiotics in Poultry on humans
Despite the widespread belief that chickens are not injected with growth hormones, we ingest their natural hormones every time we eat chicken meat. Like humans, chickens have innate hormones that manage their body functions like growth and fertility rates. Estrogen intake is a significant concern because the compound is identical in the bodies of chickens and humans. High estrogen levels in chicken products have been linked to health problems later in life, such as breast cancer and polycystic ovary syndrome. The female body’s hormones influence metabolism, appetite, growth and development, mood, stress, and body temperature. While we often hear about how hormones affect women’s function and life, they also play an essential role in men’s lives. Researchers have been trying to understand better how this phenomenon affects the human body.
According to research conducted in 2010, consuming these hormone-producing chickens heavily impacts our health in the long run. For example, researchers found a connection between estrogen-rich meat and hormone-dependent cancers. In parallel, studies of dairy milk products have also produced signs of physical after-effects resulting from the testosterone found in milk fat. Researchers found a direct link between DHT hormones and hair loss. DHT is the result of converted testosterone in dairy products; it is also known to disrupt the growth of hair follicles and shorten hair cycles leading to hair loss. Furthermore, in 2019 a group of Pakistani researchers discovered that eating broiler meat leads to hormonal and weight imbalance. Also, they stated that high consumption of any kind of chicken meat automatically increases the risk of hazardous health effects like cancer, urinary tract infections (UTI), food-borne diseases, and heart diseases.
In short, even though poultry facilities have managed to avoid injecting broiler chickens with synthetic antibiotics, there is still the issue of animal and human welfare. With no injections being used, eating chicken still means digesting their naturally occurring hormones, which may be linked to serious health issues later in life.
Here are some healthy diet tips that also help reduce your exposure to hormones used in food production:
• Eat a varied diet rich in fruits, grains, and vegetables.
• Eat meats in moderation, well cooked but not charred.
• Eat more lean muscle meat, less liver and fat.
Now that you know, what different choices will you make?
