Is Eating Pork Worth the Risk?

The pork industry is one of the dirtiest in the world. Parasites, antibiotics, waste lagoons, and inflammatory fats make pork a food worth questioning—even though it's no longer forbidden under biblical law.

Let's get one thing straight: it's not a sin to eat pork. Jesus made that clear in Mark 7 when He declared all foods clean. The Apostle Paul echoed it in Romans 14 and 1 Timothy 4. We are no longer under Mosaic dietary law. Salvation isn't at stake here.

But health might be. Wisdom definitely is.

Just because something is allowed doesn't mean it's beneficial (1 Corinthians 10:23). And pork? It's one of the most biologically and industrially disturbing meats we consume.

Let's break down all the reasons to keep pork off your plate:

🧫 Pork Is the Most Parasitic Meat

Pigs are scavengers. They'll eat anything: rotting garbage, feces, dead animals, even their own young. Their digestive systems are fast, meaning they don't fully filter out toxins or parasites.

Unlike ruminant animals (like cows), pigs don't chew cud or have multiple stomachs. That matters. They don't have the same biological tools to cleanse their systems before meat becomes muscle.

Main parasites and pathogens include:

• Trichinella spiralis (trichinosis) - rare in commercial US pork, but not gone

• Toxoplasma gondii

• Hepatitis E virus - survives standard cooking temperatures

• PRRS and other bacterial infections are more common in pork

🦠 Pork Is a Filthy Industry

Factory-farmed pigs live in overcrowded, unsanitary, and disease-prone conditions. They're pumped full of antibiotics to survive the toxic environment, leading to antibiotic-resistant bacteria. Waste lagoons from pig farms contaminate local water sources and release dangerous gases like hydrogen sulfide and ammonia.

In fact, residents near major pork operations often report respiratory issues, headaches, and nausea. That's not a coincidence.

The pork industry is just bad for our health; it's a scourge on the environment and local communities.

🧬 Pigs Are Genetically Close to Humans

Pigs are often used in medical research and organ transplants because their tissue and organ structure is strikingly similar to ours. That should give us pause.

Why? Because this similarity means viruses and pathogens can easily jump from pigs to humans. This is called zoonotic transmission, and it's how many modern illnesses emerge. Swine flu didn't come out of nowhere.

When you eat pork, you're eating meat from an animal that shares more DNA with you than you should be comfortable with—and one that's often carrying latent viral material.

🔥 Pork Is Highly Inflammatory

Pork contains a unique type of polyunsaturated fat that oxidizes quickly, especially during cooking. That means more free radicals, more inflammation, and more cellular damage.

High heat + pig fat = chemical chaos in your body.

If you're battling chronic illness, autoimmunity, joint pain, or metabolic dysfunction—pork is not your friend. It's also one of the top histamine-releasing foods, making it problematic for people with allergies or skin issues.

🧪 Pork Is Often Processed, Preserved, and Preserved Again

Bacon. Ham. Sausage. Cold cuts. Most pork is heavily processed and filled with:

• Nitrites and nitrates (linked to cancer)

• Artificial smoke flavoring

• Preservatives

• Added sugars

• MSG and other excitotoxins

Even "uncured" or "organic" bacon isn't clean. The processing itself creates harmful compounds, like nitrosamines, when the meat is cooked.

You're not just eating pork. You're eating chemistry experiments.

✝️ What About the Bible?

God's original design in Eden was plant-based (Genesis 1:29). Meat came after the Fall, and later, He gave specific instructions about clean and unclean animals (Leviticus 11). While these laws don't save us, they still hold wisdom.

God wasn't giving random rules—He was protecting His people from diseases they didn't even know existed yet.

Pigs were never meant to be food. They were meant to be garbage disposals. Their biology hasn't changed. The only thing that changed is our justification for eating them.

Jesus fulfilled the law, but He didn't erase biology. He didn't purify pig flesh. He purified people. And He still calls us to walk in wisdom.

🙏 Just Because You Can Doesn't Mean You Should

If you're trying to honor God with your body, heal inflammation, reduce toxic burden, or trying to be a better steward of what goes into your mouth… pork simply doesn’t belong on your plate. Not because you’re under the law—but because you're walking in freedom.

When you understand how pork affects your body, your health, your gut, your hormones, your skin, and even your spiritual discernment (yes, your nervous system is part of your ability to hear from God)—you start to realize: This isn't just a food choice. It's a wisdom choice.

For me, the science and Scripture point in the same direction: pork isn't worth it. Not because I’m required to avoid it, but because I want to steward this body well for the glory of God.

"Whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God." —1 Corinthians 10:31

👉 If you’re tired of conflicting health advice and want a Christ-centered approach to taking back your health, I can help. Schedule a complimentary Discovery Call today, and we’ll map out your next steps so you can finally feel in control again.