How can we avoid the harms of antibiotics in daily life?

In today's world, where food safety is paramount, the idea that farm animals should not be overused with "antibiotics" or injected with "lean meat powder" has become an issue of public concern. What exactly are antibiotics? What do lean meat powders do? Why do so many livestock farmers use them even when it means breaking the law? As for how to truly stay away from the dangers of drug residues in meat, I believe that only by strictly controlling the food we eat and cultivating good habits can we keep our bodies in a healthy state.

What Are Antibiotics?

Antibiotics are chemical substances that can inhibit bacterial growth and kill bacteria. However, different bacteria require different antibiotics, and the concentration used must also be correct. If antibiotics are misused, or the concentration is insufficient, not only will they fail to kill or inhibit the bacteria, but the surviving bacteria will fight back against the antibiotics through genetic mutation. This is what is known as drug resistance.

Many farmers, when raising animals, will use antibiotics to prevent disease if they do not pay attention to environmental hygiene. This can save on medical costs after the animals fall ill, and can also avoid the losses from slowed growth during illness, but it is a highly unethical practice.

If people eat meat with antibiotic residues, their bodies may develop resistance to certain bacteria. When their immunity drops and they fall ill from a bacterial attack, even if they do not normally take antibiotics at will, they may still develop drug resistance because they eat meat containing antibiotic residues every day, creating the predicament of having no drugs available when they fall ill.

Therefore, although the Department of Health and the Bureau of National Health Insurance have strict regulations on doctors prescribing antibiotics, the following "three don'ts and one do" principles are still recommended:

(1) Do not buy them yourself: Antibiotics are prescription drugs. Do not act as your own doctor; if you feel unwell, be sure to seek medical attention.

(2) Do not actively request them: Antibiotics are used to fight bacteria and are only effective when a bacterial infection is confirmed, which requires professional evaluation. If you see a doctor for a cold, ninety percent of colds are not bacterial infections, and antibiotics cannot speed up recovery. There is no need to actively ask a doctor to prescribe antibiotics; you can even ask the doctor whether antibiotics are really necessary.

(3) Do not stop taking them casually: Antibiotic treatment targets different bacteria and purposes, and there is a certain course of treatment. Once antibiotics are needed for treatment, you must take them on time until they are finished, in order to maintain a sufficient concentration of the drug in the body and avoid creating drug-resistant bacteria that seize the opportunity to strike.

(4) Do eat meat with "no antibiotic residues": If meat has antibiotic residues, it is like taking medicine when you are not sick, and may create the predicament of having no drugs available when you fall ill.