Human Growth Hormone or Steroid free food

A few decades ago, I was concern about the drugs that were fed to animals. I was bodybuilding at that time so I was concerned that the meat that I was eating was doped. It did not take a genius to figure out that there was more money to be made doping food stock animals than doping athletes. While I did not avoid meat, I did have some concern about which offal the drug could reside in.

It turned out that there was a lot of misinformation from all sides. 

• Chicken

I was told a lot of myths about the chicken on Growth Hormones. All were wrong. Firstly the logistics will be a nightmare. The fast way to get drugs into the animal is by injection. Any poultry farmer will tell you that is not possible with poultry with the volume they were dealing with. Catch a chicken, poke it correctly and mark it. Repeat it a thousand times each month.

Do you know why you have to repeat the process each month? Chickens reach the optimal size in 5 weeks. Their meat is also rather inexpensive. Weight the cost of jabbing each chicken and the benefits disappear.

For the skeptics, I need to inform you about the science of doping chickens. Steriods and GH do not work when taken orally by poultry. The cost of the drug is rather expensive relative to it price. Lastly, even if the drug did work, 5 weeks is too short for the drug to be effective as the chickens have not reached sexual maturity. Yup, sexual maturity makes the steroids and growth hormones effective. It is why the chicken starts producing the drug naturally if it reaches sexual maturity. 
   
Are chicken bred to grow at an abnormal rate? Are chicken vaccinated? Are chicken fed antibiotics? Yup, but we can consider closing the chapter on birds on hormones.   

• Pork

It is tempting to blame the pig for everything. Some religions ban it. It was rumoured to be the reason why 2 boxers were suspended. It was this rumour that made me use this animal as a subtopic. There is currently no growth hormones used in pigs. There is a hormone called ractopamine that is used but its drug half-life is extremely short. (Hours instead of days. This means that unless you suspect the pork dish that you are having for dinner was walking in the morning, you are not at risk.)  It is also banned in most countries except for a notable exception of the US.

In conclusion, not every animal benefits from the advances of science. Cows are injected with hormones but except for burgers, I hardly touch beef. Sheep could be injected with hormones but most people hardly eat it. Fact: I do love the offals of animals but that is quite pricey so the risk is small.