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Integrative medicine: Cleanliness reduces E. coli risk

By Drs. Kay Judge and Maxine Barish-Wreden, McClatchy Newspapers, Source: MCT News Service

Many people have experienced the discomfort of urinary tract infections, or UTIs. These are usually due to the bacteria Escherichia coli. E. coli normally colonize the lower intestinal tract, but they can get up into the urinary system and cause infection.

Sexually active pre-menopausal women have the highest risk of UTIs, and post-menopausal women are also at risk because of hormonal changes. However, there are other things that can put you at risk for UTIs, including the food you eat.

A recent study published by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in the journal Emerging Infectious Diseases showed that the source of E. coli in 353 women with UTIs was often the meat and poultry they were eating _ fresh meats as well as processed ready-to-eat meat and poultry products. Chicken was the worst offender in the "fresh flesh" category _ 61 percent of the E. coli from this group came from chickens, whereas most of the contaminated ready-to-eat products were meats.

Why are we getting sick from our food? Commercially raised farm animals usually spend the end of their lives in cramped, filthy conditions in feedlots or poultry houses, persistently exposed to E. coli and as other bacteria.

In her 2002 book "Secret Agents: The Menace of Emerging Infections," Madeline Drexler wrote, "The site of modern meat production is akin to a walled medieval city, where waste is tossed out the window, sewage runs down the street, and feed and drinking water are routinely contaminated by fecal material."

In addition, cattle in feedlots are fattened on grain, which encourages the growth of acid-resistant E. coli in the animals' intestines _ and this kind of E. coli is more likely to survive the acid environment of the human stomach. If meat production is not carefully monitored from feedlot to food store, contaminated burgers and the like can end up on your plate.

In comparison, grass-fed cattle avoid the sewage and acid-resistant E. coli problems. The result? E. coli contamination is much lower in grass-fed beef than feedlot beef.

To add to the E. coli problem, commercially raised animals are treated with antibiotics, lots of them. In fact, it's estimated that 50 percent to 70 percent of all antibiotics produced in the United States are fed to commercially raised farm animals to keep them from getting sick from exposure to bacteria, and also to promote growth. This overuse of antibiotics then breeds resistant strains of bacteria, which can be passed to humans.

Europe is ahead of us in dealing with this: In 2006, the European Union banned the use of all antibiotics to promote growth in livestock so as to preserve the effectiveness of these antibiotics for humans.

Fruits and vegetables are also at risk. This is because commercial animal waste gets spread to other farms through irrigation water, dust and fertilizer as well as by other animals, including birds.

Organic produce can be just as contaminated, if not more so, than conventionally grown fruits and veggies, especially if animal manure is used as fertilizer and the manure has not been adequately composted. Witness the recall of organically grown spinach several years ago because of E. coli contamination.

So what's a health- conscious consumer to do to avoid UTIs and other bacterial diseases from food? Consider limiting your intake of animal food _ it's good for your general health anyway (not to mention your wallet). If you do eat meat or poultry, look for organic, grass-fed meat or free-range chickens, i.e., animals raised in open pastures, free of sewage, antibiotics and hormones.

And of course, always practice safe food handling. Keep raw meat and other animal foods separate from your produce; wash your hands, cooking utensils and food prep surfaces before and after cooking; and be sure to carefully wash all those fruits and veggies. For updated information on E. coli, go to www.cdc.gov/ ecoli.

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(Drs. Kay Judge and Maxine Barish-Wreden are medical directors of Sutter Downtown Integrative Medicine program in Sacramento, Calif. Have a question related to alternative medicine? E-mail adrenaline@sacbee.com.)

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(c) 2010, The Sacramento Bee (Sacramento, Calif.).

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Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services.