Harmful Chemicals in the Meat You Eat? by Mike Sullivan

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Harmful Chemicals in the Meat You Eat?
by Mike Sullivan

Many people may not realize it, but much of the meat we eat contains synthetic growth hormones and other chemicals that may be harmful to us. Why would cattle owners want to use growth hormones? It is all about money. Ranchers today want to produce more cattle in a shorter period. A rancher may only have about 14 months to get the calf from a small size, say 80 pounds, to a selling size (around 1,200 pounds). Growth hormones help the cattle put on weight to get them ready for slaughter in record time as well as reducing the amount of fat in the meat. Nitrates are a chemical compound that can also be found in meat today, being used to cure meat and give them a healthy color. Most notably, nitrates are found in hotdogs, giving them their red color.

The use of hormones in meat is nothing new. As far back as the 1930s, research shows that estrogen affected the growth rates in both cattle and poultry. By the 1950s, a synthetic (man made) estrogen, DES, was being used to increase cattle size. However, DES was found to cause cancer and is no longer used to

Author's Biography:

Mike Sullivan is a grill master and meat lover. Read his most recent report on How To Marinate Steaks to put the most flavor into your next steak meal. http://www.buy-steaks-online.net/marinating-steaks.htm

Posted on: April 4,2006

Email: mike@buy-steaks-online.net
Website: http://www.buy-steaks-online.net