(no subject)

[ewt]

Concerned about MRSA and other "super-bugs"?


Stop eating animal products that have been loaded up with antibiotics as routine in order to promote growth.. That means, in this country, you stop buying any meat, dairy or eggs which are not organic. You can hold off with all that farmed fish as well, unless it's organically farmed.

Still concerned? Stop buying anti-bacterial this and that and the other creams and sprays and cleaners when simple soap and water will do. Stop buying those horrid 'Microban' containers and chopping boards that have been impregnated with antibiotics.

Triclosan is one. Check the ingredients on your hand wash, your dishwashing liquid, your deodorant, your anti-acne face toner goo, your TOOTHPASTE for crying aloud...in the UK this stuff is in way too much stuff.

f you ingest antibiotics every day and use low-grade antibiotics in your home then of course there are going to be anti-biotic resistant strains of bacteria. The ones in the home cleaning products are not the same as the ones used in hospitals to treat serious infections but they are often related. The ones fed to the animals are your standard antibiotics used on humans as well.

Over-prescription of antibiotics to whiny "HE HAS A COLD! DO SOMETHING NOW!! KTHXBYE!" parents by harassed GPs is only part of the problem, folks. Hand-washing in hospitals is only part of the problem, folks. Bureaucracy is too slow. If you care about a problem, you've got to change how you spend your money.

Comments

[caradea.livejournal.com]

I'm not totally sure about this but I thought Waitrose usually touts that they don't use antibiotics regularly in their meat/eggs/dairy?
Totally agree with the anti-bacterial soap this that and the other, normal soap and water will wash away germies as long as you're scrubbing your hands for 20 seconds minimum, getting underneath the nails and everything.
The Dettol spray commercials bug the crap out of me. Oh no, someone sneezed ON A BALL! QUICK! SPRAY IT! SPRAY THE PHONE!
And then they all wonder why their kids have lung problems... spraying chemicals all over the place probably doesn't help.

[ewtikins.livejournal.com]

Waitrose are getting better in terms of this sort of thing. They also don't stock eggs that are not free-range.

There are still lots of other good reasons to buy Soil Association certified organic stuff, though. I mean, if you don't want antibiotics in your meat, do you really want organophosphate pesticide buildup in there? Probably not. The stuff permitted for use on feed crops (as opposed to those intended for human consumption) is pretty nasty.

The lung problems are also due to overcarpeting, generalised air pollution and plain simple lack of exercise, IMHO. But yes, spraying stuff everywhere doesn't help. I'm not familiar with the Dettol adverts of which you speak because I don't currently have regular access to a televsion. Whee!

Totally agree with the anti-bacterial soap this that and the other, normal soap and water will wash away germies as long as you're scrubbing your hands for 20 seconds minimum, getting underneath the nails and everything.

If you haven't been handling raw sewage most of the stuff that is on your hands should be things your immune system is equipped to deal with, if you are strong and healthy. There are situations where anti-bacterial handwash is warranted (for example, if you have a compromised immune system and also messy irritable bowel syndrome it might be desirable to use something a little stronger than Simple Soap), but if people wash too much then they never get exposed to the little bugs and don't develop any resistance at all. To my mind this is as much a problem as antibiotic resistance is.

[dethany.livejournal.com]

thanks for this - i try to live similarly.

i never thought about the pesticides that go into feed. FUCK. i don't know why i never did. :/

[justinep.livejournal.com]

I don't see what IBS has to do with it... and you're going to be negatively affected by things that have already passed through your body?

[doseybat.livejournal.com]

hello! *waves* is it that crochet you were talking about in your userpic?

[compilerbitch.livejournal.com]

*also waves*

I just friended you -- I'm doseybat's other half, in case you don't recognise the LJ name. We met at the coffee@borders thing, or at least I arrived just as everyone left thanks to lots of, er, *cough*, helpful directions! :-)