Meat & Protein

Why You Should Avoid Pork: What the Bible and the Science Say

Q: What is the best substitute for bacon?

Beef bacon, with turkey bacon close behind.[10] Choose one with no added nitrites or nitrates,[4] and check the ingredients for celery powder or celery juice, which supply nitrate or nitrite too.[26]

Q: Can pork cause food poisoning?

Yes. CDC says Yersinia infection is often linked to raw or undercooked pork, especially chitterlings (pig intestines), and reactive arthritis in the wrists, knees or ankles can follow it.[31][32]

What the Bible says about pork, the parasites and virus that research keeps finding in pigs, and the swaps that make a pork-free kitchen easy.

By Dr. Josh Axe, DC, DNM, CNS·11-min read

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Evidence-based39 sources citedUpdated October 1, 2026

Published Oct 1, 2026Last updated Oct 1, 2026Editorial policyMedical review policyFact-checking policy

Should you avoid pork?

Yes. Leave pork off your plate in every form, from bacon, ham and sausage to fresh chops and roasts.1 2

The Bible calls the pig unclean in Leviticus 11 and Deuteronomy 14, and The Biblio Diet puts unclean meats first among the foods to stop eating3 4
Pigs can carry the pork tapeworm, which FAO/WHO experts ranked first among 24 foodborne parasites, along with Trichinella worms and hepatitis E5 6 7
In my view, cooking lowers the risk without erasing it, and curing, drying or smoking on its own doesn't reliably kill Trichinella2 8
Bacon, ham and sausage are processed meat, which the WHO's cancer agency classifies as Group 1 for colorectal cancer9
Start with a 30-day pork fast: beef or turkey bacon at breakfast, and clean meats like grass-fed beef, lamb and bison at meals10 4

Pork is one food I leave off my plate entirely, and I recommend you do the same, bacon and ham included.11 1 My reasons start with Scripture, which calls the pig unclean, and with The Biblio Diet, the book Jordan Rubin and I wrote on eating by biblical principles.4 Modern food-safety research adds the rest: pigs are a leading source of the pork tapeworm, Trichinella worms and hepatitis E.

Leaving pork out also fits a root-cause approach to health. Functional medicine asks what's getting in the way of the body's healing and removes it at the root,12 and food is where that work starts. It's one of the simplest food changes you can make: a clean protein can take its place at every meal.

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Our recommendation against these foods is based on biblical health and vitality, not a sin issue.Dr. Josh Axe, DC, DNM, CNS

What does the Bible say about eating pork?

Quick answer

The Bible calls the pig unclean and tells God's people not to eat it. Leviticus 11:7–8 and Deuteronomy 14:8 give the reason: the pig divides the hoof but doesn't chew the cud, so it fails the test for a clean land animal.3

The test comes a few verses earlier: "Whatsoever parteth the hoof, and is clovenfooted, and cheweth the cud, among the beasts, that shall ye eat" (Leviticus 11:3). The ox, the sheep and the goat pass it (Deuteronomy 14:4).3 The pig meets only one of the two conditions:

"And the swine, though he divide the hoof, and be clovenfooted, yet he cheweth not the cud; he is unclean to you. Of their flesh shall ye not eat, and their carcase shall ye not touch; they are unclean to you." (Leviticus 11:7–8)

Deuteronomy 14:8 repeats the same law.3

The Biblio Diet builds on that standard with two principles: eat only what God created and intended as food, and eat food in the form that is healthy for the body.4 Pork fails the first. Bacon, ham and sausage fail both. In the book, Jordan Rubin and I name six things to stop eating right away, the Sinister Six, and unclean meats are first on that list.4 Our biblical diet guide walks through the clean meats, fish and whole foods that take their place.

The animals Scripture set apart often turn out to be the ones modern food-safety research warns about,13 and for the pig, the ranked evidence below lays that out point by point. I see it as wisdom: a way to honor the body, choose cleaner foods, practice self-control and receive God's provision with gratitude.13

Why don't Jews and Muslims eat pork?

Both faiths trace the rule to their scriptures. Kashruth, the Jewish food laws, draws most of its rules from the books of Moses, Leviticus and Deuteronomy among them, and it permits only land animals that chew the cud and have cloven hooves, the same test the pig fails in Leviticus 11:7–8 and Deuteronomy 14:8.36 3 The Qur'an lists swine among the foods God has forbidden, with an exception only for someone forced by necessity (Qur'an 2:173).37

Can Christians eat pork?

The New Testament didn't change the animal.1 Many Christians read Mark 7:19, Acts 10 and Romans 14 as freeing believers from the ceremonial food laws, and Jordan Rubin and I agree this isn't a sin issue.4 The question I ask is different: does that make pork healthy now?11 I've put it this way on my show: pork wasn't made healthy after Jesus' resurrection; pork is the same yesterday, today and tomorrow.14

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What should you eat instead of pork?

Quick answer

Build your meals around clean proteins: grass-fed beef, lamb, bison, venison, pasture-raised chicken and turkey, and wild fish with fins and scales. For bacon, I recommend beef bacon first, with turkey bacon close behind.10 4

The simplest place to start is a 30-day pork fast. Cut out all pork, including bacon, ham, sausage and pepperoni, for at least a month, and use beef or turkey bacon in its place.10 These swaps come from the food lists in The Biblio Diet;4 the fat and gelatin rows follow the same clean-animal standard.

Instead of	Choose
Pork bacon	Beef bacon, or turkey or chicken bacon, with no added nitrites or nitrates
Pork sausage and hot dogs	Beef or buffalo sausage and hot dogs with no pork casing; chicken or turkey sausage
Ham and deli pork	Natural deli chicken, turkey or roast beef
Pork chops, roasts and ribs	Grass-fed beef, lamb, bison, venison, elk or goat; pasture-raised chicken, turkey or duck
Pork liver	Beef liver or chicken liver
Lard	Olive oil or avocado oil for everyday cooking; a spoonful of tallow or ghee where a recipe needs a solid fat
Pork gelatin	Beef gelatin or fish gelatin

Beef bacon, turkey bacon and beef hot dogs are still processed meat under the WHO's definition, so keep them occasional and let fresh, clean meats carry most of your week.9

For fish, The Biblio Diet follows the fins-and-scales standard of Leviticus 11:9 and favors wild-caught choices like salmon and sardines.4 The best fish to eat guide lists more.

The nutrients pork supplied are easy to replace. Clean red meat, fish and liver bring zinc, selenium and B vitamins, and sunflower seeds and legumes are good sources of thiamine.

Planning your first pork-free week?

Ask Dr. Axe AI. Its answers draw on this library and show their sources.

The benefits of avoiding pork, ranked by evidence

Ranked by evidence, leaving pork off your plate removes a main food source of the pork tapeworm, trichinosis and hepatitis E, takes bacon, ham and sausage out of your week, and swaps lard for olive oil day to day, with small amounts of tallow or ghee, both of which carry less omega-6 than lard.

Protection from the pork tapeworm

Strong evidenceHuman studyWHO fact sheet · FAO/WHO ranking of 24 parasites

Three tapeworm species cause intestinal infection in people, and the World Health Organization says only the pork tapeworm, Taenia solium, causes major health problems.15 Its life cycle runs through pigs and people. Eating undercooked pork that carries its larval cysts gives a person the adult tapeworm; that person sheds eggs, and anyone who swallows those eggs can develop cysticercosis, including neurocysticercosis in the brain.15 16 Skipping pork protects you from the adult tapeworm, and it's the step that breaks the chain: every case of cysticercosis traces back to a person who got the adult tapeworm from pork, since people are its definitive host.16 In many areas where people live near roaming pigs, the pork tapeworm causes 30% of epilepsy cases, and in high-risk communities it's linked to as many as 70%.15

In 2014, FAO/WHO experts ranked it first among 24 foodborne parasites worldwide, and WHO's foodborne disease experts later named it a leading cause of death from foodborne illness.5 15 It reaches the U.S. too: neurocysticercosis accounted for an estimated 18,584 hospital stays from 2003 to 2012, more than malaria, though the study doesn't trace those infections to U.S. pork.17

Pigs swallow the eggs. A person carrying the adult tapeworm passes its eggs in the stool, and pigs that eat them develop larval cysts in their meat.15 16
People eat the cysts. Raw or undercooked pork carrying those cysts gives the person who eats it the adult tapeworm, which can live in the gut for two to three years if it isn't treated.15
The eggs spread again. Anyone who swallows the carrier's eggs, through contaminated food, water or hands, can develop cysticercosis, including cysts in the brain.15 16

Protection from trichinosis

Strong evidenceHuman studySurveillance · 65,818 cases in 41 countries; 84 U.S. cases

Trichinella roundworms infect people who eat raw or undercooked meat carrying their larvae.18 A review of outbreak reports from 41 countries counted 65,818 cases and 42 deaths from 1986 to 2009, and pork was the major source.6 The FAO/WHO experts ranked Trichinella spiralis, with pork as its main food vehicle, seventh of the 24 parasites.5

In CDC's surveillance summary for 2008 to 2012, 67 of the 84 confirmed U.S. cases had a known or suspected source, and 63 of those 67 were attributed to pigs or bears: 22 to pork, including wild boar and home-raised pigs, and 41 to bear meat.18 Neither animal passes the Leviticus test for a clean land animal.3

Less exposure to hepatitis E

Strong evidenceHuman studyRetail testing, traced cases and a European review

Pigs are considered the main source of hepatitis E in developed countries, and eating pork products is a known route of infection.7 In a U.S. study, 14 of 127 grocery-store pig livers (11%) carried the virus's genetic material, and virus from two of the three positive livers tested went on to infect pigs.19 Human cases trace back to the plate. In Japan, 9 of 10 hepatitis E patients in one study had eaten grilled or undercooked pig liver, and in France, 7 of 13 people who ate a raw pig-liver sausage were infected, compared with 0 of 5 who didn't.20 21

Over the 10 years before a 2017 European review, countries in the European Union and European Economic Area reported more than 21,000 acute cases and 28 deaths, and European food-safety scientists name pigs and wild boar as the main source.22 CDC names pregnant women, organ-transplant recipients and people whose immune systems are weakened as the groups at greatest risk of severe illness.23

Less processed pork in your week

Strong evidenceHuman studyIARC review · meta-analysis of 20 studies

Bacon, ham, sausage and pepperoni are processed meat, and the World Health Organization's cancer agency classifies processed meat as Group 1, carcinogenic to humans, for colorectal cancer. The classification covers processed meat of every kind, processed beef included, and the agency rates red meat itself Group 2A, probably carcinogenic.9 As I've said on my show, when studies show red meat eaters tend to be less healthy, that's because most of the red meat people eat today is grain-fed, not the fresh, grass-fed red meat I recommend.39 Each 50 grams of processed meat eaten daily is linked to an 18% higher relative risk of colorectal cancer.24 In a meta-analysis of 20 observational studies with more than 1.2 million people, the same 50 grams a day was linked to 42% higher coronary heart disease risk across five studies and 19% higher diabetes risk across seven.25

Some bacon labeled "uncured," beef and turkey bacon included, is cured with vegetable ingredients such as celery powder or celery juice that supply nitrate or nitrite, so the label doesn't guarantee a nitrite-free product.26

A fat profile lower in omega-6

Emerging evidenceComposition · USDA; meat-science review

Through a functional-medicine lens, the fat in pork matters too: it's high in omega-6 fatty acids, a point I've made on my show.1 Lard carries about 10.2 grams of linoleic acid, the main omega-6 fat, per 100 grams, against 3.1 grams in beef tallow.27 Pigs store the linoleic acid in their feed in their fat and muscle more readily than other fatty acids, so a pig's diet shows up in its meat.28 These figures describe the fat itself rather than a measured health outcome. When a recipe calls for a solid animal fat, a spoonful of tallow or ghee takes lard's place, though tallow isn't an ideal fat for heart health or fatty liver disease in larger amounts. For everyday cooking, olive oil, which is mostly monounsaturated fat, is the fat you can use most freely.27

Does cooking make pork safe?

Quick answer

Cooking lowers the risk, but in my view it doesn't erase it.2 CDC calls cooking meat to a safe internal temperature the best way to avoid trichinosis, but curing, drying, smoking or microwaving on its own doesn't reliably kill Trichinella worms, so cured pork eaten without cooking, like prosciutto, can still carry live worms.8 Hepatitis E is harder to kill: in a lab study of pig-liver pâté, only 71°C (160°F) held for 20 minutes fully inactivated it.29

With hepatitis E, time matters as much as temperature. In that pig-liver study, researchers tested the heated food by injecting it into pigs, and food held at 71°C (about 160°F) for only 10 minutes still passed the virus on.29 38 European food-safety scientists call sufficient heat treatment the only efficient control for the virus in meat and liver.22 Leaving pork and pig liver off your plate is the simpler control.

If you develop muscle aches, fever and swelling around the eyes after eating undercooked pork or wild game, see a doctor and mention what you ate; those are among the common signs of trichinosis.18

How avoiding pork fits a root-cause approach

Functional medicine has a simple picture for this: you can keep mopping the floor, or you can walk upstream and fix the broken pipe.12 For pork, food safety works on the mopping side: inspection, cooking guidelines and curing rules manage the risk while pork is on its way to your plate, and U.S. surveillance has documented a steady decline in reported trichinosis.18 The root-cause step sits one move further upstream, and it's the path I recommend: when pork never reaches your plate, neither do the parasites and virus it can carry.1

On your plate, root-cause care comes down to taking out what shouldn't be there and putting back what should. Avoiding pork does both. It removes a documented source of parasites, hepatitis E and processed meat, and the clean proteins in the swaps above fill its place on your plate.

Plenty in nutrition is personal: which clean proteins suit you best, how much red meat fits your week, whether you need testing. The pork line holds for everyone. The avoid list in my parasite protocol reads, simply, "Pork in all forms."2

The bottom line

Should you avoid pork?

Yes. I don't eat pork in any form, and I recommend you leave it off your plate too. Scripture set the pig apart, The Biblio Diet puts unclean meats first among the foods to drop, and the research keeps pointing to the same animal as a source of the pork tapeworm, Trichinella and hepatitis E. Bacon, ham and sausage add a Group 1 processed-meat risk on top.

Start with a 30-day pork fast. Reach for beef or turkey bacon, and build your meals around grass-fed beef, lamb, bison, pasture-raised poultry and wild fish with fins and scales. If you're already dealing with parasite symptoms, the free Parasites Protocol walks you through testing and the four phases. If you've eaten undercooked pork or wild game and something feels off, bloodwork shows part of the picture: a CBC with eosinophils, which are often high in trichinosis,18 plus ferritin and hs-CRP. It can't name a parasite on its own, but it shows what to test next. Analyze your bloodwork free →

Your body was designed to heal, and God wants you to heal.30

Pork: frequently asked questions

Is pork bad for you?

Yes. I recommend leaving it off your plate. Scripture calls the pig unclean (Leviticus 11:7–8), pigs are a leading food source of the pork tapeworm, Trichinella and hepatitis E, and bacon, ham and sausage are Group 1 processed meat.3 5 7 9

Can you get worms from eating pork?

Yes. Undercooked pork can carry the larvae of the pork tapeworm and of Trichinella roundworms, and both infect the people who eat them.15 18

Can you get hepatitis from pork?

Yes, hepatitis E. Pigs are the main source of the virus in developed countries, and CDC lists raw or undercooked pork among the U.S. sources.7 23

Is bacon bad for you?

Yes. Bacon is processed meat, which the WHO's cancer agency classifies as Group 1 for colorectal cancer.9 If you want bacon, beef bacon or turkey bacon keeps pork off your plate; both are still processed, so keep them occasional.10 9

What is the best substitute for bacon?

Beef bacon, with turkey bacon close behind.10 Choose one with no added nitrites or nitrates,4 and check the ingredients for celery powder or celery juice, which supply nitrate or nitrite too.26

Can pork cause food poisoning?

Yes. CDC says Yersinia infection is often linked to raw or undercooked pork, especially chitterlings (pig intestines), and reactive arthritis in the wrists, knees or ankles can follow it.31 32

Is pork liver safe to eat?

No. Pig liver is a documented source of hepatitis E: in a 2007 U.S. study, 14 of 127 grocery-store pig livers carried the virus's genetic material.19 Beef liver or chicken liver is the better organ meat.

Is wild boar or pasture-raised pork any better?

No. Wild boar and home-raised pigs were among the pork sources of U.S. trichinosis cases, and European food-safety scientists name pigs and wild boar as the main source of hepatitis E.18 22 The Biblio Diet draws the line at the animal itself.4

Is ham or prosciutto safe to eat?

No. Both are cured pork and processed meat, which the WHO's cancer agency classifies as Group 1 for colorectal cancer.9 Prosciutto is also eaten without cooking, and CDC notes that curing, drying and smoking on their own don't reliably kill Trichinella worms.8

Is pork red meat?

Yes. USDA classifies pork as red meat because it has more myoglobin than chicken or fish; "the other white meat" was a marketing slogan.33 34

Is there pork in gelatin?

Often. Pigskin is the leading commercial source of gelatin, so gummies, marshmallows and capsules can contain pork.35 Check the label for beef (bovine) or fish gelatin.

What is The Biblio Diet?

It's the 2025 book Jordan Rubin and I wrote on eating by the foods and principles of Scripture: clean meats, fish with fins and scales, and whole foods in a form that's healthy for the body.4 Our biblical diet guide walks through the full food list.

Freshness & method note

September 30, 2026 — Rebuilt around Dr. Axe's position and The Biblio Diet, with what Scripture says and the swaps, including a 30-day pork fast, now near the top. Added the WHO and FAO/WHO findings on the pork tapeworm with a life-cycle graphic, CDC's 2008–2012 trichinosis surveillance, research on hepatitis E in pig liver, the IARC and heart-disease findings on processed meat, a lard-versus-tallow omega-6 chart, a short answer on why Jews and Muslims don't eat pork, and a bloodwork note in the bottom line, with 38 numbered references. Retired older sections that couldn't be tied to current sources. Added an FAQ.

References

Dr. Josh Axe, DC, DNM, CNS

Doctor of Natural Medicine · Founder, DrAxe.com

Dr. Axe is a certified doctor of natural medicine, clinical nutritionist, and multiple New York Times bestselling author. He has spent 20+ years in clinical practice helping people heal at the root cause and founded one of the most-visited natural-health platforms in the world.

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This article is for educational purposes. See our medical disclaimer.