For the last few years I’ve been reading more and more about The New York Times the Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations (CAFO’s) that raise hogs and are flooding the groundwater with tetracycline. One editorial writes, “the groundwater around two confinement hog farms, scientists have identified the presence of several transferable genes that confer antibiotic resistance, specifically to tetracycline.”

It is a worry that we are producing antibiotic resistant organisms in our groundwater because what happens when epidemic disease hits and we cannot combat it with antibiotics? Well, it would be devastating.
However, that’s not the only worry. Tetracycline is linked to autoimmune conditions, specifically interstitial cystitis or “non-bacterial cystitis,” which is on the rise in our population. Interstitial cystitis can be defined as chronic inflammation of the bladder.

Autoimmune conditions occur when the immune system loses the ability to distinguish between normal healthy cells and destructive foreign invaders and attacks healthy cells.
Interstitial cystitis is not the only autoimmune condition to become epidemic. In the last two decades there has been an alarming increase in incurable autoimmune conditions such as Hashimoto’s thyroiditis (chronic inflammation of the thyroid gland), lupus (progressive ulcerative skin disease), Crohn’s disease (chronic inflammation of the intestines), rheumatoid arthritis (chronic inflammation of the joints), Grave’s disease (over active thyroid), myasthenia gravis (progressive muscular weakness), and Sjogren’s disease (white blood cells attack moisture-producing glands, causing numerous health problems).

I believe that autoimmune conditions will become commonplace in the next two decades. This is tragic because autoimmune conditions do not respond well to traditional medical care, i.e. drugs. People who develop autoimmune conditions are often condemned to a lifetime of chronic pain, the despair of being characterized as hypochondriacs and the plight of being guinea pigs at the hands of doctors who don’t know how to help them.

What can you do to protect yourself from an autoimmune condition? Eat “historic” real food that was organically raised in a clean environment. Organic food bolsters the immune system. Organic food is good for humans, animals and the environment. Don’t drink fluorinated water, avoid toxins (stuff like dryer sheets—use common sense!)