Pig not the swine you think, but more a life saver

Those who look on the pig as a dirty creature which has no place among humans should do some serious rethinking.

Even religious bodies that for centuries have banned the animal from the kitchens of their adherents would do well to drop the dogma and remove from their codes of conduct what has been proved a fallacy – that this species is bad for you. In fact, we’ve become reliant on Porky, allowing us some precious extra time.

Ironically, in Chicago, a stronghold of orthodoxy, a man with terminal heart disease was implanted with a genetically modified pig heart in a first-of-its-kind surgery and three days later, the patient was doing well, his doctors reported.

Closer home, readers of this column will recall that I’ve had my aorta valve replaced with that of a porker’s. And the procedure has been successful, allowing me some more time in the departure lounge (and hope SAA is not the courier when I’m ready to board.

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Then again, if I’m lucky, the pilots will strike again, meaning more Wimpy breakfasts at the airport). Seeing that fatso is becoming more and more involved with homo sapiens, I thought it a good idea to find out what makes him
tick. We chow beef, lamb and chicken. Even dabble in rabbit, ostrich and tortoise, so what makes pork any different – except of course, ironically, it’s far more melt-in-the-mouth than the religiously accepted ones.

Did you know, pork is the world’s most popular meat? Food scientists tell us it’s a rich source of high-quality protein, as well as various vitamins and minerals.

This means it should improve exercise performance and promote muscle growth. And the fact that pigs’ biological make-up is compatible with that of a human, parts of which can be used to improve health – even save lives – it should be regraded and given its rightful place among conventional carnivores.

And if the pious ones insist on a religious connotation, then create Porky as the first Prodigal Son among swine. Not unlike the homecoming of the scriptural son, Porky’s return should be a celebratory affair.

But in this case the situation differs as Porky’s not the baddie, just misunderstood and misrepresented. Don’t scoff, you might have to rely on him to save your skin.