Author Topic: Bacon  (Read 2815 times)

Offline chipset

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Bacon
« on: August 14, 2007, 09:38:57 PM »
Is it good or bad? The red parts with meat, I mean.
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Offline Steven Low

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Re: Bacon
« Reply #1 on: August 15, 2007, 07:28:56 AM »
The red parts are actually meat, and the white parts are fatty.

Are they bad? A lot of people would say so, but I don't see much wrong with eating bacon if the rest of your diet is pretty good.
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Offline Muse_of_Fire

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Re: Bacon
« Reply #2 on: August 15, 2007, 08:35:11 AM »
I think bacon is delicious!

Oh... you're asking if it's good or bad in terms of nutritional value. ;)

Bacon is high in protein. It is also high in salt and fat. Quite often (unless you buy naturally cured bacon) it is also high in weird chemicals. Sometimes (as in the case of maple-cured bacon) it can be high in sugar.

What you need to do is read the label to know what you're getting in terms of ingredients. Independent of everything else, bacon is meat, and meat has a lot of good things in it nutritionally.

The next thing you need to do is look at your overall diet and see how bacon can fit in. If you generally don't eat very much fat, and/or if you are very active, the fat in bacon won't be a problem for you. If you eat 5 pounds of bacon at every meal, then it's probably not a good thing for you, nutritionally. ;) As Steve mentioned, if your diet is generally pretty good, a few bacon strips here and there won't be a problem.

In general, my personal philosophy on nutrition is "there are no bad foods, only bad habits."

Hope that helps you. :)
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Offline Muhammad

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Re: Bacon
« Reply #3 on: August 15, 2007, 09:44:41 AM »
Pig's bodies contain many toxins, worms and latent diseases. Although some of these infestations are harbored in other animals, modern veterinarians say that pigs are far more predisposed to these illnesses than other animals. This could be because pigs like to scavenge and will eat any kind of food, including dead insects, worms, rotting carcasses, excreta (including their own), garbage, and other pigs.

Influenza (flu) is one of the most famous illnesses which pigs share with humans. This illness is harbored in the lungs of pigs during the summer months and tends to affect pigs and humans in the cooler months. Sausage contains bits of pigs' lungs, so those who eat pork sausage tend to suffer more during epidemics of influenza. Pig meat contains excessive quantities of histamine and imidazole compounds, which can lead to itching and inflammation; growth hormone, which promotes inflammation and growth; sulphur-containing mesenchymal mucus, which leads to swelling and deposits of mucus in tendons and cartilage, resulting in arthritis, rheumatism, etc.

Sulfur helps cause firm human tendons and ligaments to be replaced by the pig's soft mesenchymal tissues, and degeneration of human cartilage. Eating pork can also lead to gallstones and obesity, probably due to its high cholesterol and saturated fat content. The pig is the main carrier of the taenia solium worm, which is found it its flesh. These tapeworms are found in human intestines with greater frequency in nations where pigs are eaten. This type of tapeworm can pass through the intestines and affect many other organs, and is incurable once it reaches beyond a certain stage. One in six people in the US and Canada has trichinosis from eating trichina worms which are found in pork. Many people have no symptoms to warn them of this, and when they do, they resemble symptoms of many other illnesses. These worms are not noticed during meat inspections, nor are they killed by salting or smoking. Few people cook the meat long enough to kill the trichinae. The rat (another scavenger) also harbors this disease. There are dozens of other worms, germs, diseases and bacteria which are commonly found in pigs, many of which are specific to the pig, or found in greater frequency in pigs.

Pigs are biologically similar to humans, and their meat is said to taste similar to human flesh. Pigs have been used for dissection in biology labs due to the similarity between their organs and human organs. People with insulin-dependent diabetes usually inject themselves with pig insulin.

"And the swine, because it divideth the hoof, yet cheweth not the cud, it is unclean unto you: ye shall not eat of their flesh, nor touch their dead carcase." Deuteronomy 14:8
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Offline Andy Animus Tran

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Re: Bacon
« Reply #4 on: August 15, 2007, 10:39:46 AM »
While I personally don't eat pork either, Moe... Lots of animals eat their own feces.  It's actually nutritional for them most of the time, because of inefficient digestive systems (there's still a lot of nutrients in the fecal matter to be extracted, so another go-round is fine).  For humans, it's not so good, because we can't deal with the E.coli that's in our large intestines.  In the regard of health, a little pork isn't going to kill anyone... there's much worse things to eat out there.  But like I said, I don't eat it myself.
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Offline Muhammad

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Re: Bacon
« Reply #5 on: August 15, 2007, 11:10:12 AM »
There is some truth in what you are saying Animus. Even as muslim, I am permitted to eat pork (to the extent of my need), but only in the case of dire necessity, such as being confronted with the prospect of death by starvation. If I am given a choice between eating pork, or dying of starvation, I must eat the pork.
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Re: Bacon
« Reply #6 on: August 15, 2007, 12:53:03 PM »
Steven is right, the biggest downside to bacon is the salt and nitrates, but in reasonable quantities as part of a balanced diet (plenty of low-fat protein, healthy fats, veggies) it won't hurt you a bit.

Offline chipset

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Re: Bacon
« Reply #7 on: August 15, 2007, 06:50:24 PM »
So I was eating bacon and reading about how it tastes like human flesh and many animals eat their own feces. That gave me quite an appetite :))

But what I was asking I think was this. Is it OK to make pig's meat major part (60%-70%) of protein intake? When I'm out of chicken, for example :)
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Offline Muse_of_Fire

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Re: Bacon
« Reply #8 on: August 15, 2007, 08:06:53 PM »
IMO it's never a good idea to have just one kind of thing be 60-70% of a part of your diet. Variety is your best friend when it comes to eating well. Pork is as fine a source of protein as any other (assuming an absence of religious or cultural restrictions, of course), but be aware that "pork" includes all sorts of things like bacon, chops, roasts, ham, etc. Your initial question was asking about bacon; now it seems you're asking about pork in general. Non-cured pork (chops, roasts, etc.) tend to be much leaner than bacon and certainly lower in salt, so they are a better choice than bacon as a source of protein.

When you run out of chicken, you could eat pork, sure. You could also eat beef, lamb, fish, shellfish, tofu, cheese, or eggs. If you cycle all of these protein sources into your diet, you expand your variety and therefore are exposed to a wider range of nutrition for your body to use.

As has been mentioned, it's hard to say if a food is "good" or "bad" because you have to take your whole diet into account, as well as your activities. Bacon from time to time is fine. Pork from time to time is fine as well, as is chicken, beef, fish, etc...

The bottom line is, as long as you're getting regular protein in with your veggies and whatnot, you're fine; whether it's bacon or chicken breast. Just be aware that bacon is fattier than chicken, and adjust the rest of your diet accordingly.
She followed slowly, taking a long time,
as though there were some obstacle in the way;
and yet: as though, once it was overcome,
she would be beyond all walking, and would fly.
--excerpt from Going Blind, Rainer Maria Rilke

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Offline chipset

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Re: Bacon
« Reply #9 on: August 16, 2007, 07:07:25 AM »
Muse, who could possible smite you three times :) Thanks to you and to everyone else!
"To give anything less than your best is to sacrifice the Gift"
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Offline Muhammad

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Re: Bacon
« Reply #10 on: August 16, 2007, 07:43:46 AM »
Muse, who could possible smite you three times :) Thanks to you and to everyone else!

Some people are just full of piss and vinegar, and would smite even the kindest person.
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Offline Yixin (pronounced ee-shin)

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Re: Bacon
« Reply #11 on: August 17, 2007, 06:49:00 PM »
Pig's bodies contain many toxins, worms and latent diseases. Although some of these infestations are harbored in other animals, modern veterinarians say that pigs are far more predisposed to these illnesses than other animals. This could be because pigs like to scavenge and will eat any kind of food, including dead insects, worms, rotting carcasses, excreta (including their own), garbage, and other pigs.

Influenza (flu) is one of the most famous illnesses which pigs share with humans. This illness is harbored in the lungs of pigs during the summer months and tends to affect pigs and humans in the cooler months. Sausage contains bits of pigs' lungs, so those who eat pork sausage tend to suffer more during epidemics of influenza. Pig meat contains excessive quantities of histamine and imidazole compounds, which can lead to itching and inflammation; growth hormone, which promotes inflammation and growth; sulphur-containing mesenchymal mucus, which leads to swelling and deposits of mucus in tendons and cartilage, resulting in arthritis, rheumatism, etc.

Sulfur helps cause firm human tendons and ligaments to be replaced by the pig's soft mesenchymal tissues, and degeneration of human cartilage. Eating pork can also lead to gallstones and obesity, probably due to its high cholesterol and saturated fat content. The pig is the main carrier of the taenia solium worm, which is found it its flesh. These tapeworms are found in human intestines with greater frequency in nations where pigs are eaten. This type of tapeworm can pass through the intestines and affect many other organs, and is incurable once it reaches beyond a certain stage. One in six people in the US and Canada has trichinosis from eating trichina worms which are found in pork. Many people have no symptoms to warn them of this, and when they do, they resemble symptoms of many other illnesses. These worms are not noticed during meat inspections, nor are they killed by salting or smoking. Few people cook the meat long enough to kill the trichinae. The rat (another scavenger) also harbors this disease. There are dozens of other worms, germs, diseases and bacteria which are commonly found in pigs, many of which are specific to the pig, or found in greater frequency in pigs.

Pigs are biologically similar to humans, and their meat is said to taste similar to human flesh. Pigs have been used for dissection in biology labs due to the similarity between their organs and human organs. People with insulin-dependent diabetes usually inject themselves with pig insulin.

"And the swine, because it divideth the hoof, yet cheweth not the cud, it is unclean unto you: ye shall not eat of their flesh, nor touch their dead carcase." Deuteronomy 14:8

And yet, despite ALL of that, Twinkies are still much, much, much worse for you than Pork.
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Offline chipset

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Re: Bacon
« Reply #12 on: August 17, 2007, 07:11:38 PM »
I don't like twinkies. I have allergy on anything sweet, unfortunately, but twinkies don't taste good.
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Offline Matt Hudson

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Re: Bacon
« Reply #13 on: August 17, 2007, 08:16:11 PM »
Does it matter?
Bacon, and sausage, biscuits and gravy, hash browns, eggs, and toast.
MMMM MMMM GOOD!

Offline Muhammad

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Re: Bacon
« Reply #14 on: August 17, 2007, 08:34:12 PM »
Every time I see or hear about biscuits, I think of the movie Slingblade.
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Offline Yixin (pronounced ee-shin)

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Re: Bacon
« Reply #15 on: August 18, 2007, 07:02:46 AM »
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trichinosis

Oh yea, Pork tastes the best when cooked to 160 degrees, well higher than the temperature the Trichina  Worm dies at.
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Offline Laurie Jennifer

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Re: Bacon
« Reply #16 on: August 18, 2007, 08:18:10 AM »
Well, it's not Kosher...  ;)

You can always try turkey bacon.  I'll be honest, it doesn't really fry up the same and it is more expensive, but it's still fantastic in soup or just by itself.  Besides, it's [slightly] better for you.
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Offline Patrick Holten (Denver Family) Flux Freerunning

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Re: Bacon
« Reply #17 on: August 18, 2007, 10:34:11 AM »
It's fine just don't get the bacon with any fatin it at all.
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