Eat Locally.

Here’s my letter to our local paper about one of the reasons to eat locally.

I’ve also seen the comments, which involve a wilful misreading of a single sentence and trumped up anger that I was recommending antibiotics for viral infections.  I posted this reply:

“For those who’ve actually read the letter, the concept is that children with likely, but not proven, viral ear infections are not being given antibiotics for preventative purposes. Anyone who’s ever dealt with a sick child knows that there is a risk of a secondary bacterial infection with any viral infection, but as doctors we are asked to not provide “preventative” antibiotics to avoid the possibility of that infection. At the same time, we consider it reasonable to provide our livestock with daily “preventative” doses of antibiotics, regardless if they have a proven bacterial infection or not. The reasons for daily antibiotics for feedlot animals  has more to do with terrible living conditions and inadequate oversight than any proven bacterial infection. For the cynical, it has been shown that daily antibiotics increase animal weight. For those seeking alternatives, probiotics added to animal feed do as well as antibiotics at maintaining animal health.”

For those seeking more local Maine options, my page on www.naturopathicmaine.com gives options.

For those looking for more reading on the subject, my reading blog, Natural Treatment Therapies, has links to several books.    Here’s Michael Pollan talking about a different look at the world.