There is a lot of talk about giving antibiotics to the animals we eat. I (woman of 67) have had the muscle disease myasthenia gravis for seven years and can only take antibiotics in extreme cases. That’s why I switched to organic meat. But now I read that pigs that can root outside in the ground more often have more toxoplasma. Which is healthier for me: organic or not?
Female, 67
Joris Bartstra, journalist with medical diploma
I don’t think it matters much. If antibiotics are already present in the meat of animals from factory farming, they are at most traces. The discussion is more about growing resistance to antibiotics than on the direct public health consequences of antibiotics in meat. Vaccinating animals cannot have any effect on your condition. The risks of infection with bacteria and parasites such as toxoplasma are especially important when you use drugs that suppress the immune system, such as prednisone. I would indeed be careful when being treated with immunosuppressants, especially with raw meat. A kitchen in which meat is processed is always a bit dirtier than a meatless kitchen. In that regard, I would vegetarian to go. Sea fish is also virtually free of ‘animals’ that can make you sick.
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