Antibiotics and hormones used in cattle production for human consumption need to be regulated and further research needs to be conducted because of health and safety concerns. Hormones are used in the industry as implants and feed additives to primarily increase production. Hormones are chemicals that that regulate growth, development and tissue function. This results and 10-25% increased daily gains and an increased lean/fat ratio. Antibiotics are chemicals produced by living organisms that are used to kill or inhibit the growth of other infectious micro-organisms. There are six different kinds of steroid hormones approved for use in food production in the US and Canada. “Estradiol and progesterone are natural female sex hormones. Testosterone
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Excess amounts of most hormones increase the risk for a large variety of cancers such as breast, prostate and colon. They can also cause many reproductive problems such as low sperm counts and adverse pregnancy effects. Hormones can also cause developmental effects such as early puberty in girls. Some synthetic hormones can even epigenetic effects, a change in genetic behaviour that can be passed down to offspring but doesn’t change the DNA. Hormones used in animal production also have adverse effects on the environment and also the animals themselves. “rBGH-injected cows suffered serious health problems, such as deformed calves and dramatic increases in mastitis, a painful bacterial infection of the udder” (RBGH). It also affected the reproductive functions and shortened the lives of the cattle” (RBGH). Hormones also have an effect on the the environment “because they can pass through the cattle to be excreted in manure” (Hormones). “Hormonal residue leaks from manure into the environment, contaminating soil, and surface and groundwater” (Hormones). “Recent studies have demonstrated that exposure to hormones has a substantial effect on the gender and reproductive capacity of fish and amphibians” …show more content…
MRSA is dangerous form of bacteria that is resistant to antibiotics and often spreads through hospitals and is extremely hard to treat. “As resistance towards antibiotics becomes more common, a greater need for alternative medications arises” (Dr S Donadio). “There has been a continued decline in the number of newly approved drugs.” (Dr S Donadio) “Also newly developed antibiotics are often improved variants of their predecessors. They run the risk of being only partially effective against antibiotic resistant bacteria.” (Dr S Donadio) Farm operations should develop ways to reduce the use of antibiotics. Farm operations main objective is profits so the farm animal’s health is often put at risk for the sake of profit. Livestock are often kept in overcrowded pens in poor conditions because it is more cost effective to feed them antibiotics than to improve the living conditions. If more efforts were put into the health of the animals fewer antibiotics would need to be used and they would be more effective against disease since there is less immunity development from
Excess amounts of most hormones increase the risk for a large variety of cancers such as breast, prostate and colon. They can also cause many reproductive problems such as low sperm counts and adverse pregnancy effects. Hormones can also cause developmental effects such as early puberty in girls. Some synthetic hormones can even epigenetic effects, a change in genetic behaviour that can be passed down to offspring but doesn’t change the DNA. Hormones used in animal production also have adverse effects on the environment and also the animals themselves. “rBGH-injected cows suffered serious health problems, such as deformed calves and dramatic increases in mastitis, a painful bacterial infection of the udder” (RBGH). It also affected the reproductive functions and shortened the lives of the cattle” (RBGH). Hormones also have an effect on the the environment “because they can pass through the cattle to be excreted in manure” (Hormones). “Hormonal residue leaks from manure into the environment, contaminating soil, and surface and groundwater” (Hormones). “Recent studies have demonstrated that exposure to hormones has a substantial effect on the gender and reproductive capacity of fish and amphibians” …show more content…
MRSA is dangerous form of bacteria that is resistant to antibiotics and often spreads through hospitals and is extremely hard to treat. “As resistance towards antibiotics becomes more common, a greater need for alternative medications arises” (Dr S Donadio). “There has been a continued decline in the number of newly approved drugs.” (Dr S Donadio) “Also newly developed antibiotics are often improved variants of their predecessors. They run the risk of being only partially effective against antibiotic resistant bacteria.” (Dr S Donadio) Farm operations should develop ways to reduce the use of antibiotics. Farm operations main objective is profits so the farm animal’s health is often put at risk for the sake of profit. Livestock are often kept in overcrowded pens in poor conditions because it is more cost effective to feed them antibiotics than to improve the living conditions. If more efforts were put into the health of the animals fewer antibiotics would need to be used and they would be more effective against disease since there is less immunity development from