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Antibiotics have a side effect of drastically increasing growth in certain livestock. Unless it's heavily regulated, it will continue to be used. When consumers

Antibiotics have a side effect of drastically increasing growth in certain livestock. Unless it's heavily regulated, it will continue to be used. When consumers can do is buying the significantly more expensive meat options that are antibiotic free, or simply buy less meat.

ben_w 7y ago
One thing I’ve often wondered is: given this danger, why can’t the agricultural consumers be restricted to only those antibiotics which human diseases have already evolved immunity to?
- KSteffensen 7y ago
  Because it would cost farmers money
  - ben_w 7y ago
    Why would it cost more money to keep using a drug they’re already using after it ceases to also be used therapeutically for humans?
cageface 7y ago
I think in this case we do need regulations since as long as some producers continue to abuse antibiotics this way it affects all of us.
gingabriska 7y ago
Does it also work on humans? Does taking a lot of antibiotics since birth makes a human stronger and taller? I've never seen bodybuilders taking antibiotics for size tho tho heard of plenty of steroid and protein/testosterone stuff. But I know some chicken farmers in my neighborhood who double the chicken size with antibiotics.
- nicwilson 7y ago
  > Does it also work on humans? Does taking a lot of antibiotics since birth makes a human stronger and taller? Quite possibly. It will also bugger up your immune system maturation spectacularly. That doesn't matter so much for animals destined for the slaughterhouse, but it does for you because viruses aren't affected by antibiotics.
  - gingabriska 7y ago
    But what if we consume those chickens, isn't that antibiotic somehow going to end up inside us sooner or later? And that will indirectly influence our size? Is there any pattern of size gain/growth in humans since we started using antibiotics on farm animals? One thing always have been mysterious to me is that growth/size is attributed to nutrition/genes/workout but I know some villages (more like distant tribes with no connection to modern world) who practise old style farming and heading livestock without any modern methods and they've plenty to eat but still they've not gotten taller or bigger. They've sheeps, goats, chickens, plenty of fruits and grains in their diet, lots of physical work but no size gain. And if the person from the same tribes comes to the US as a kid, you can see them get taller/bigger then their siblings back home. So it can't be their genetic limit.
- b_tterc_p 7y ago
  This would destroy your gut microbiome so bad idea. But yes I think it would work.
  - TheSpiceIsLife 7y ago
    I don’t think it would work. A human with a borked digestive system will be incredible unfit. Cows have a fundamentally different digestive tract, and I’m going to guess antibiotics suppress or eliminate cow digestive tract biota that are normally commensal but for whatever reason slow their growth, either by consuming nutrients or excreting signally molecules, or otherwise contributing to a cascade.
    - 7y ago

ben_w 7y ago

One thing I’ve often wondered is: given this danger, why can’t the agricultural consumers be restricted to only those antibiotics which human diseases have already evolved immunity to?

KSteffensen 7y ago
Because it would cost farmers money
- ben_w 7y ago
  Why would it cost more money to keep using a drug they’re already using after it ceases to also be used therapeutically for humans?

cageface 7y ago

I think in this case we do need regulations since as long as some producers continue to abuse antibiotics this way it affects all of us.

gingabriska 7y ago

Does it also work on humans? Does taking a lot of antibiotics since birth makes a human stronger and taller? I've never seen bodybuilders taking antibiotics for size tho tho heard of plenty of steroid and protein/testosterone stuff. But I know some chicken farmers in my neighborhood who double the chicken size with antibiotics.

nicwilson 7y ago
> Does it also work on humans? Does taking a lot of antibiotics since birth makes a human stronger and taller? Quite possibly. It will also bugger up your immune system maturation spectacularly. That doesn't matter so much for animals destined for the slaughterhouse, but it does for you because viruses aren't affected by antibiotics.
- gingabriska 7y ago
  But what if we consume those chickens, isn't that antibiotic somehow going to end up inside us sooner or later? And that will indirectly influence our size? Is there any pattern of size gain/growth in humans since we started using antibiotics on farm animals? One thing always have been mysterious to me is that growth/size is attributed to nutrition/genes/workout but I know some villages (more like distant tribes with no connection to modern world) who practise old style farming and heading livestock without any modern methods and they've plenty to eat but still they've not gotten taller or bigger. They've sheeps, goats, chickens, plenty of fruits and grains in their diet, lots of physical work but no size gain. And if the person from the same tribes comes to the US as a kid, you can see them get taller/bigger then their siblings back home. So it can't be their genetic limit.
b_tterc_p 7y ago
This would destroy your gut microbiome so bad idea. But yes I think it would work.
- TheSpiceIsLife 7y ago
  I don’t think it would work. A human with a borked digestive system will be incredible unfit. Cows have a fundamentally different digestive tract, and I’m going to guess antibiotics suppress or eliminate cow digestive tract biota that are normally commensal but for whatever reason slow their growth, either by consuming nutrients or excreting signally molecules, or otherwise contributing to a cascade.
  - 7y ago