subject: Kosher Meat: The Secret To Good Health [print this page] Kosher Meat: The Secret To Good Health Kosher Meat: The Secret To Good Health
For observant members of the Jewish faith, eating kosher (also known as kashruth or kashrut) is a requirement derived from the Torah's Books of Leviticus and Deuteronomy. While many estimate only a sixth of American Jews obey the kashrut laws, there are many individuals across the globe who follow kosher guidelines and actually opt for kosher meat because of the series of health benefits that are now associated with it.The word itself, kosher, translates to "fit," as in fit-for-consumption. Food that does not follow the Jewish dietary laws, i.e. is not kosher, is called "treif," which translates to "unclean."Studies have shown that individuals who choose kosher meat over treif meat typically have lower cholesterol levels. While the cuts of kosher meat certainly contributes to this, another reason is that the lack of milk-and-meat cuts items such as cheeseburgers, lasagna, and meat-lovers pizzas out of the diet... items that typically raise ones cholesterol levels tremendously. When digested together, the average human body struggles to break down both meat and dairy items simultaneously, which causes the (typically unhealthy) food items to stay in your stomach longer and increase your cholesterol.It's also worth noting that pork products don't fall into the kosher meat category. That's right; you'll never find a kosher butcher carving up a succulent pig. What's also worth noting is that pork products have a series of more allergens than any other meat type, which can also bring about health problems.However, one of the least known reasons that kosher meat is healthier than treif is how the animal is slaughtered. With the specific kosher rules and guidelines, kosher slaughter is a very detailed process that is designed to prevent the animal from knowing it is about to be killed.What this does is prevent the animals from releasing hormones that they typically would at the first sign of danger. When an animal is slaughtered in a treif fashion, more times than not it is aware of its current predicament and impending doom and releases hormones as a natural reaction to panic and fear. These hormones remain in the meat after the slaughter and during human digestion, and more times than not these hormones are harmful to humans.Because kosher meat is created from animals unaware they are about to be slaughtered, they do not release these dangerous, unhealthy chemicals. And because of this, kosher meat has yet another health advantage over treif.
