5 ms·
iirc antibiotics in cows are not principally used as medicine. it's because chronic antibiotic use makes cows put on weight faster. I don't know the mechanism.
by sterlind 4y ago
iirc antibiotics in cows are not principally used as medicine. it's because chronic antibiotic use makes cows put on weight faster. I don't know the mechanism.
- bell-cot 4y agoSimilar recollection here. So, obvious question - would it work to standardize on giving the cows some old, seldom-useful-in-human-medicine antibiotic? If yes, that would seem to minimize the resulting harm to human health...
- samus 4y agoIf these older antibiotics would stop being used, they could eventually be used on humans again. Maintaining chemical defenses is an evolutionary disadvantage compared to populations without them if the antibioticum is not present in the environment anymore.
- pixl97 4y agoIt would be interesting to know of this mechanism has any effect in humans, being that humans are eating more meat that's been treated with antibiotics and were also gaining weight at rapid levels at society wide levels.
- thelittleone 4y agoI'm curious also. Could it be that antibiotic meats affect the gut / microbiome? Perhaps creating an environment favorable to certain gut bacteria that lead to increased appetite or fat?