Poisons

And there's still more! In addition to all in the previous sections, it is the sober truth that huge amounts of growth hormones, antibiotics, fertilizers, and other drugs and chemicals are routinely used on farm animals. "In fact, beef producers administer more drugs to cattle than physicians prescribe for their patients" (Gabbe 69). Many of these chemicals are "not approved for human consumption" but are nevertheless fed to the animals that we eat.

The result is that "at least 95% of all toxic chemical residues in the American diet come from animal products" (TaxMeat.com). Some examples: Tranquilizers are used to reduce the stress of the tiny cages in which the animals are raised. Antibiotics dangerous to the 'good' bacteria in our bodies, as well as dangerous drug-resistant bacteria, remain in the meat that we eat. And finally, since many cells continue to function after the blood flow stops, waste products build up with nothing to take them away. All of these are components of processed beef.

While it's true that chemicals such as pesticides and fertilizers are often used on plant crops and therefore affect vegetarians as well, these foods have none of the aforementioned chemicals. Additionally, "each step up the food chain serves to amplify the consumption of toxins," so the cropland chemicals build up in the animals they're fed to. "In fact, meat contains 14 times more pesticide residues than do plant foods" (TaxMeat.com). Considering all these chemicals, it's not too surprising that meat has been shown to be a potent cause of cancer.

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