By Professor Hans-Heinrich Reckeweg, M.D.
Biological Therapy Vol.1 No. 2 1983

In consideration of wide sections of the population, it appeared strongly advisable to investigate more closely the reasons for the nocuity of pork and to report on the toxic and stress factors contained in pork, i.e. sutoxins. A possibility emerges that everyone can stay healthy by omitting toxic factors (specific pork poisons) from his diet or can regain health by observing a strict ban on pork.

The fact that pork causes stress and gives rise to poisoning is known. It is obvious that this does not only apply to preparations of fresh pork such as cold cuts, knuckles, feet, ribs and cutlets, etc., but also to cured meats (ham, bacon, etc.) and to smoked meats prepared for sausages.

Consumption of freshly killed pork products causes acute responses, such as inflammations of the appendix and gall bladder, biliary colics, acute intestinal catarrh, gastroenteritis with typhoid and paratyphoid symptoms, as well as acute eczema, carbuncles, sudoriparous abscesses, and others. These symptoms can be observed after consuming sausage meats (including salami which contains pieces of bacon in the form of fat).

The consumption of pork is particularly dangerous in the tropical regions. This, for example, is shown in parts of Africa where both the Islamic and Western civilizations live in neighboring territories under the same climatic conditions. The same conditions apply to various races in the Himalayas where the Hunsa (Bircher) live. The Islamic population does not consume pork and is healthy, working to a considerable age as porters for numerous expeditions.

The races of the Western civilizations living on the other side of the valley do not observe the Islamic rules of behavior and eating, and suffer from all of the common illnesses. In other words, the population which observes the Islamic laws is healthy, while those who follow the habits of western civilization manifest all the typical diseases which come with the consumption of pork. Reference must be made to the founders of the great cultures, who have also fundamentally influenced Western culture. Moses, the prophet, and Mohammed, for example, recognized the prohibitions imposed by nature and based their laws on them.

The Old Testament: In Leviticus 11 and Deuteronomy 14 of the Holy Bible is written:

Lev. 11. Clean and Unclean Food

The Lord said to Moses and Aaron, “Say to the Israelites: Of all the animals that live on land, these are the Ones you may eat: You may eat any animal that has a split hoof completely divided and that chews the cud. There are some that only chew the cud or only have a split hoof, but you must not eat them. The camel, though it chews the cud, does not have a split hoof; it is ceremonially unclean for you. The coney, though it chews the cud, does not have a split hoof; it is unclean for you. The rabbit, though it chews the cud, does not have a split hoof; it is unclean for you. And the pig, though it has a split hoof completely divided, does not chew the cud; it is unclean for you. You must not eat their meat or touch their carcasses; they are unclean for you."

Deut. 14: “You may eat any animal that has a split hoof divided in two and that chews the cud. However, of those that chew the cud or that have a split hoof completely divided you may not eat the camel, the rabbit or the coney. Although they chew the cud, they do not have a split hoof; they are ceremonially unclean for you. The pig is also unclean; although it has a split hoof, it does not chew the cud. You are not to eat their meat or touch their carcasses.”

The Koran: In Sura 1 6, Verse 115 is written:

He has forbidden you carrion, blood, and the flesh of swine; also any flesh consecrated other than in the name of Allah. But whoever is constrained to eat any of these, not intending to sign or transgress, will find Allah forgiving and merciful.

Jahwe (Jehovah), God of the Israelites also established identical prohibitions regarding the law of nature against which one must not sin; to do so will certainly bring biological retribution through the promise of “sickness in the form of punishment”. (See Deuteronomy 28 for example)

It would be superfluous to mention the people of Saudi-Arabia, Egypt, Pakistan, Algeria, Tunisia, Libya, or any other country where Islam is the national religion since these laws of practice have been their principles for several thousand years.

The strict prohibition of pork, by the Jews and the Moslems is also very well known. It is often suggested that these customs are religious-hygienic measures ordered by the priests because of the Trichina content of pork. This, however, is unfounded as this practice dates back to the time of Moses and Mohammed when Trichina was not known.

In World War II, soldiers in North Africa were taken ill in ever increasing numbers. They were suffering from abscesses of the lower part of the leg called “tropical ulcers”. These ulcerations left the soldiers unfit to fight and necessitated lengthy hospital confinement, often requiring their removal to more temperate climates. Every possible form of treatment as well as chemical therapy was exhausted without positive results. It was then suggested that these leg ulcers could possibly be connected with the soldiers’ eating habits, as the natives showed no signs of this disease. Rations to the soldiers were then based on a diet free from pork, much like that eaten by the Islamic population. This resulted in the immediate relief of the leg ulcer syndrome.

During the lean years of the war and especially those after the war, the health of the population was, practically speaking, good. Few people could eat their fill. Meat from any source was only available in small amounts, pork was rarely ever available. There was very little fat, hardly any sugar, but there were plenty of cereals and grains, i.e., bread and pastries. These were supplemented with potatoes, root crops and fresh vegetables.

During that time there were hardly any cases of inflamed appendix and no gall bladder problems except among those who had managed to kill a black market pig, which was rare. At the same time rheumatism, intervertebral disc damages and similar complaints were almost unknown. This was also true of cardiac ailments, sclerosis, and high blood pressure.

Soon after the currency reform of 1948 was established, pork products, ham arid particularly bacon became readily available and the health picture of the German population completely changed. Inflammation of the appendix, gall bladder disorders, acute eruptions of the skin such as pyodermia, impetigo, carbuncles and sudoriparous abscesses became common place. Upon treating these illnesses with chemical drugs and sulphonamides. chronic mycosis as well as a variety of side effects soon became apparent.

Particularly frightening was the increase in cases of cancer at that time. A great many patients between 60 and 70 years old, who had hitherto been free of disorders, suddenly became ill with stomach complaints which were found to be caused by cancer of the alimentary canal, the stomach or the intestines. The progress of these cases was so instructive and biologically significant, or rather had such causal bases, that certain deductions as to the origin of all illnesses had to be made; this being that the basis of all illnesses are poisons.

Over the years, it was found that many other illnesses, such as arthritis and chronic osteoarthrosis, were to a large extent due to pork consumption, as well as some special diseases such as leucorrhea in women, chronic fistular eruptions, not only those following ear surgery, as for example after otitis, but also those adherent to shot wounds suffered during the war. As these were sustained through the consumption of pork, they were slow to heal, if at all, unless a biological, particularly a homeopathic cure involving complete abstinence of any and all types of pork was undertaken.

Feeding experiment with white mice*

* The results of these experiments were documented and published in “Homotoxins and Homtaxicoses, Fundamentals of a Synthesis of Medicine” by H.-H. RECKEWEG, Aurelia Publishing House, Baden-Baden in 1955.

The mice fed on pork developed a marked tendency towards cannibalism. As they grew older (ranging from a few months. to about a year). many developed cancer in various parts of their bodies.

In some cases skin diseases also became apparent. On the other hand, the mice fed on a normal diet also developed diseases, but there were fewer cases of cancer or of fatal illnesses; also they showed no signs of cannibalism.

Pork should never be fed to dogs, particularly boxers as they develop mange and itching skin sores, as well as tendency for severe internal diseases.

The same was reported about circus animals; especially lions and tigers, which due to pork consumption became lazy and obese, suffered from severe bloody noses (probably due to high blood pressure), and soon died.

The owner of a trout farm reported that the entire stock could be eliminated in a matter of days by feeding minced pork to the trout.

Pork should be regarded as an important homotoxin (human poison), which initiates activation of the body’s defense mechanisms. These defensive measures then manifest themselves in a variety of illnesses. Furthermore, from published reports, it became apparent that several constituents of pork behave as homotoxins or as stress factors, hence for them, the term “sutoxins” appeared justified. It is then evident that the so-called exogenic animal fat (that which is added through consumption) is stored in the body in this form. For example, a dog which has been fed mutton fat, chemically retains detectable mutton fat in its fatty cells. This is clear from the chemical reaction of the subcutaneous fat, i.e. iodine number etc.

In addition, the blood is flooded with a great many of these fatty particles. Large molecules are formed (the so-called “cenapse”, according to Macheboeuf) which when measured in the ultra-centrifuge, according to their different speeds of separation (Swedborg units) are jointly responsible for the onset of arteriosclerosis as well as for high blood pressure, hyperaemia, for general poor blood flow through the connective tissues, and particularly in some important glands, and for the constriction and calcification of the coronary blood vessels.

Later, it also became clear that such fat-rich foods also cause a severe strain on the connective tissue.

Hauss (Professor in Münster/West Germany) reported fully on these factors in his book, “The Unspecific Mesenchyma Reaction”. According to Hauss, these types of stress resulting from a diet rich in fat, for which pork fat (particularly bacon fat) is mainly responsible, can, when combined with other stress factors, ultimately become fatal.

Wendt (Professor in Frankfurt/West Germany) attributes arteriosclerosis, diabetes and disorders of circulation almost exclusively to the “protein-fattening” for which the mucopolysaccharides, in particular the mucous components of the connective tissue of the pork, are to be blamed, although he mentions nothing about them coming from pigs.

The question has come up as to the differences between pork and other forms of meat. This has been very difficult to ascertain due to the lack of authentic literature on the subject, since most of it dealt only with the question of calories, It is, however, possible to establish the following:

1. Pork does not contain an enormous amount of fat, even the so-called “lean pork” in contrast to other types of meat such as beef, lamb, etc. Pork contains much intra-cellular fat or particles of fat inside the cells themselves, while in other animals, the fat is found almost exclusively outside these cells in the connective tissues, in the form of fat cells. Occasionally in aged beef, it is possible to find small amounts of fat in the cells themselves, while in pork, the cells have generally a high percentage of fatty particles. This can, for example be seen when even “lean pork” is fried. It immediately releases fat in a hot frying pan and is usually fried “in its own fat”. Since fat contains about twice as many calories as carbohydrates and proteins, it is, especially among heavy eaters, first of all stored for convenience in the connective tissue. As a result, the adiposity common to those who consume pork, including the other stress substances found in pork, i.e. mucous constituents, can only be broken down with difficulty. This corresponds in part to the “protein fattening” referred to by Wendt.

2. Fat is always associated with cholesterol. Cholesterol is responsible for the formation of the large cholesterol-loaded molecules in the blood which contributes to high-blood pressure and arteriosclerosis, as well as being supplementary factors in cardiac infractions arid disorders of the coronary circulation, and in the peripheral blood vessels, especially in combination with nicotine (smokers). Cholesterol is also found in the walls of cancer cells (Roffo).

3. Special dangers also arise from the sulphur-rich substances of the connective tissue, the mucopolysaccharides (amino-sugars, chondroitine sulphates, hexosamine, glucosamine, etc.) which have a specific mucous character. It is only possible with pork, to produce a sausage easy to spread wherein amino sugar, hexosamine and sulphur derivatives such as chondroitins, sulphuric acid and mucoitin sulphuric acid found in pork are directly responsible for this transaction. They cause a mucous swelling for the connective tissue and then combine with the fat for storage (“Cenapse”, Macheboeuf). From this develops a characteristic swelling reaction (‘Ruben’s luxuration”) which is peculiar to pork eaters. The connective tissue, furthermore, acts like a sponge, and causes the typical cushion-like dilation of the connective tissue (water retention).

The storing of these mucous substances in sinews, ligaments, cartilages, etc. can be dangerous and can result in rheumatism, arthritis, and arthroses, and damages to intervertebral discs, to name a few.

This is due to the obstructions of the basic material of the connective tissue (as found in humans, and also in wethers) causing the connective tissue to become soft resulting in the loss of resistance. It is now that the work of Bier (Professor August Bier. [1 861-1949], surgeon in Berlin/West Germany) should be mentioned. Bier injected experimental animals with sulphur which led to the mobilization and separation of tissue sulphur. The basic materials of the cartilages lost sulphur, thereby becoming firmer with greater powers of resistance. Clearly sulphur baths work in this same way, by mobilizing the sulphur in tissues. It has been proven that the firmer and more resistant a cartilage Is, the less sulphur it contains.

Due to the predominantly large amounts of mucous connective tissue in pork, the sulphur content is extreme. This can be demonstrated by putrefaction tests. The tissue-sulphur is actually decomposed by putrefaction and digestive processes resulting in hydrogen sulphide (H2S), which is easily recognizable due to its pungent odor. Comparative experiments in putrefaction were simultaneously run on pork, beef and mutton, mutton showing the least amounts of sulphur. Those carefully sealed test tubes containing pork were removed within only a few days as the sulphuric smell seeped through and became intolerable. Beef soon went bad, but did not produce the intolerable smell which characterized pork. Mutton, after three weeks, had undergone little putrefaction. Lettre
(Professor of Pathology in Heidelberg/West Germany) conducted experiments for living cell therapy and has shown with radio-active labeled animal tissues, organs and glands, that the decomposition products of tissues, upon being absorbed by the body, generally migrate to where they biologically belong.

This could be confirmed experimentally. Patients who have eaten a great deal of bacon (produced from the flesh of the pig’s back) show typical fatty folds at the back of the neck. The same is true from consumption of bacon derived from the pig’s stomach area, as these patients show thick bulges of fat in their own stomach areas. People who eat ham, especially women, show irregular deformation in the buttock and hip areas without even realizing that ham was the cause.

4. Pork is rich in growth hormones which is generally regarded as the prime cause of inflammations and swollen tissues. The consumption of pork is also attributed to a certain extent, with having some effect on the “acromegaly” or pathological protrusion of the chin and other prominent skeletal parts of the body, in particular adiposity as well as increase in general tendency to abnormal growth. This is particularly. true in the growing trend towards cancer where damaged tissues of an earlier toxic (possibly chemotherapeutic) treatment is concerned.

As cancer can be caused experimentally in laboratory animals, as in experiments with bacon, it became increasingly clear that after the currency reform in Germany, patients between 60 and 70 years of age with existing disposition were quickly stricken with cancer. As the means had become available, they more often had a snack with smoked bacon. This contains not only cholesterol (and according to Roffo, the principal material found in the walls of cancer cells) but also the growth hormones through which the cancer growth is promoted, and not least of all, benzpyrene, - a constituent of smoke - which is typically viewed as a carcinogenic (cancer forming poison).

5. Then there are the skin irritating effects from the histamine content in the pork. These irritations are often accompanied by inflammatory processes such as boils and carbuncles; also inflammation of the appendix, gall bladder disorders, inflamed veins, leucorrhea in women, abcesses and phlegmons. The histamine can also be responsible for such skin diseases as nettle rash, eczema, dermatitis, neurodermatitis as well as other dermatoses. Chronic cases of urticaria (nettle rash) in elderly female patients and among young children respond very well to the homeopathic treatment of Apis 1 2x and Sulphur 30x but recur persistently among the elder patients, especially among those women who eat pork.

This was so prevalent that in order to completely heal urticaria as well as assure no recurrence of it, the treatment had to include a diet completely free of pork. This included all varities of sausage as all types of sausage contain some kinds of pork (unless otherwise guaranteed to be pork free).

The amount of inflammation and itching due to the consumption of pork depends upon the content of histamine and imidazoles, such as ergothionine which initiates the inflammatory processes. This can also be established by experimental inducement.
By injecting histamine into the system, stomach ulcers can be brought on experimentally as well as skin irritations, inflammations and various allergic disorders such as asthma, hay fever, rhinitis vasomotorica as well as irregular heart beat and even cardiac infractions. Therefore, people who are in “high risk” categories or patients with histories of heart conditions should always refrain from eating pork.

6. A further stress factor found in pork Is a certain factor in the blood which research has not yet been properly able to define. It has been referred to as an oncogenic agent (Nieper), endobiortt (Enderlein), as siphonospora polymorpha (von Brehmer), or as erythrocyte enclosures (Scheller). It has yet to be ascertained whether and to what extent these different factors are identical or whether at the onset of cancer they should be regarded as initiators; that is to say the causal factors, as they are regarded in Speransky’s (Russia) research, or merely as indicators or pointers.

Pig’s blood is extremely rich in these sporiferous inclusions which, according to recent work, are to be regarded as migrating (from damaged cells) or as dying rnetochondria.

7. Another very important toxic factor in pork is the influenza virus which, according to Shope (Professor at the London Institute for Virus Research), remains infectious in the lungs of pigs. As pork is used in sausage, hot dogs, etc. this organism is always found in these products transmitting the flu virus through consumption. These organisms then migrate to their biological origin (according to Lettré) which, in this case, is the connective tissue of the lungs. There it remains dormant until factors of propagation are advantageous, as in spring, for example, when there are shortages of vitamins, lack of sunshine, a.s.o. With the onslaught of sri influenza epidemic, it would appear to be totally due to an airborne infection but in reality is partly due to the virus absorbed through pork consumption.

It should also be noted that certain influenza epidemics can emanate from consumption of horse meat, which can also be infected with influenza virus.

During the middle ages, when autopsies were legally forbidden, medical students used pigs for their studies. This was very practical for the anatomy student as the internal makeup of pigs is very similar to that of humans. It is also well-known, that even the skin of domestic pigs shows many similarities to that of the human skin.

The similarity between pig flesh and human flesh makes possible a slight biochemical exchange of components. This is particularly applicable to Lettr6’s living cell therapy, which indicates that large molecules and peptides migrate to where, biologically speaking they belong. There takes place, even while consuming pork, the exchange of firm human connective tissue for the ingested mucous nourishment factors of the pig. Therefore, the consumption of pork gradually chokes the connective tissue with mucous; in addition, it is so enriched with fats that someone whose diet consists of much pork outwardly soon resembles the animal he has eaten. We all know the saying “you are what you eat”.

Here one should mention the incidents of scrophula in children, a disease which is characterized ‘by chronic glandular inflammations, in which the glands atrophy with inflammation and may lead to the formation of fistulae. Then, too, glandular lumps may form, especially in the neck causing the child to actually look like a piglet (“scropha” - Greek: the pig, “scrophula” - the piglet). This name possibly indicates the cause of this disease, which is produced by pork consumption.

The defenses of the body are particularly directed against pork fat. This, upon being broken down in the intestine and resynthesis, is drawn into the lymph ducts, to the lymph glands of the breast, finally reaching the milchgang (Ductus thoracicus). Then it is discharged into the upper vena. The overloading, especially of the lymph glands, with the filtering and detoxification of the sutoxine factors (fat-mucous mixture) contained in park fat is stored in the connective tissue as “characteristic fat” after being broken down in the intestines - and is shown as an inflammatory response of the lymph nodes.

Let us not forget the extensive influenza epidemic which followed the first World War. The fatalities due to this epidemic were greater than the total loss of life in the war Itself. Particularly devastating was this epidemic to the German population. The tarnished German people wore, at that time, being fed on American bacon which was plentiful in those first food shipments. For many years those influenza epidemics were observed which followed the consumption of pork. This is true, for example, of the large quantities of Canadian bacon which were shipped to Germany in November’ when winter slaughtering took place. This was then consumed by the population and most assuredly the dangerous influenza epidemic broke out in January/February. It should also be pointed out that influenza epidemics are virtually unheard of in the Muslim countries where pork Is not eaten.

Therefore, this corresponds to an intensification of all physiological functions, i.e., the swelling and dilation of glands, pain and fever~ suppuration, the formation of fistulae, also connected with irritation of the skin, eczema and the like, ano possible involvement with the hydrogenoid constitution, which shows a remarkable sensitivity to wet and cold, similar to the picture of the formerly, very common, exudative diathesis.

Apparently a continually one-sided diet (few vegetables, paucity of vitamins in food) will, in former times, have played a part in the ability of the scrofulosis to appear. Commonly observed in early stages of scrofulosis were umbilical colic, swelling of the mesenteric gland as well as possible swelling of the hilar gland with potential transition to tuberculosis. This hilar gland tuberculosis can become particularly manifested after suppression of fever.

With the advancement of age, especially after the treatment of colds with salicylates, pyrazolones~ and other fever suppressions, the so-called ‘easinophilic infiltrate” of the lung apexes can be observed from which then through the breakdown of this impregnation phase (in regressive vicariation within the meaning of homotoxicology) into the reaction phase of tubercular cavities, open tuberculosis develops, through which the whole toxic layer tries to disintegrate.

The parasitic tubercular bacteria in the cavities can then be allopathically destroyed with Streptomycin, among other things, without the causal “toxic layer” being taken into account, which when viewed from a biological point of view, is the foremost requirement.

It had never before been considered that this might be a pathology arising from food consumption. This, when treated with unbiological therapy, within the meaning of iatrogenic pathology, could be included among the “chronic illnesses”;

Gustav Nagel, the well known German “nature apostle” of the first decade of this century lived in accordance with the laws of nature, on a diet of raw foods. Through this he was able to cure himself of a fatal and progressive tuberculosis of the lungs.

This is a typical example of the significance of food poisoning for the development of diseases.

There are still further dangers in pork. Let us remember that a pig fattened for slaughter has grown from a piglet weighing only a few pounds at birth and within one or two years, because of the enormous amounts of growth hormones, is ready for slaughter weighing several hundred pounds.

Such a porker has little muscles, small bones and has an abundance of connective tissue, fat, blood and organs. Almost every inch of the pig is used by the butcher for food preparation. Through special methods of preparations, it is made into appetizing portions for consumption.

Furthermore, anyone who is accustomed to eating pork becomes addicted to it to some extent.

On the question of addict stimulation, W. Hoffmann, a German psychiatrist, indicates that all the symptoms of addiction can be found among pork eaters.

These people will find any excuse to eat pork. They cast aside any damage or disease which pork may cause and state every possible reason for having it, much in the same manner that smokers and alcoholics do. Among those who have broken the “pork addiction,” it is noted that pork acquires a disagreeable, repulsive and even nauseating characteristic, which... renders it intolerable and even wrong to eat, just as a non-smoker finds the smell of a dirty ashtray offensive in the morning.

Without question, the sexual hormones of the pig, which up to now have not been fully researched, and especially the androgenic sex hormone of the boar, play a part in assessing the quality of pork flesh. Boars are always castrated several weeks or months prior to slaughter (testicle extirpation), otherwise the meat would be unsalable due to the odor. For this reason, the sex hormones have to be considered carcinogenic agents, but as stated before, this aspect has to date not been fully investigated.

Pigs do not grow old, firstly due to the fact that their biological age is
limited to a few years. Furthermore, they cannot live much beyond six years as breeders since signs of cancer are unavoidable.

Viewed overall the pig is a very sick animal having few muscles and small bones, but with an abundance of mucous and fatty connective tissue, suffering from fatty degeneration of the cardiac muscle and liver with possible dropsy; all its connective tissue and lymph material, including the irritants and toxic hormone factors are consumed when the pork is eaten, thus, allowing the buildup of stress factors.

This is wherein the great danger of pork is to be found. The human system is unable, in the ordinary way, to deal with the excess fat, cholesterol, growth hormones, mucous swelling substances and other toxic factors despite the very rich vitamin content (by the process of combustion). Nor can it eliminate it in physiological phases of excreta, even if engaged in strenuous physical work.

This is where homotoxicology has brought a definite solution to the problem of the actual injurious effects of pork.

Pork cannot be physiologically detoxified through ordinary detoxifying outlets, such as the urine, breathing, intestinal secretions and secretions from the skin; thus, it cannot be alleviated through the excretory mechanisms. The only means of detoxification is through pathological outlets, namely inflammations..

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