The Link Between Processed Meat and Cancer

A recent study conducted by Swedish researchers has shown a further link between processed meats such as sausage or bacon and an increased risk of pancreatic cancer. This kind of connection is not necessarily new, but the study provides further evidence that indulging in processed meats may not be the greatest decision for your health.

Processed Meats Increases Pancreatic Cancer Risk

The study, published in the British Journal of Cancer, analyzed data from 11 clinical trials which involved 6,643 individuals struck with pancreatic cancer. What they found was that eating processed meats such as bacon, sausage, salami, pepperoni and hotdogs increases your risk of developing pancreatic cancer by 19 percent for every 50g of processed meat consumed. What may sound startling is that you only need to consume one sausage to meet the 50g.

Processed meats are those preserved by smoking, curing or salting, or using chemical additives. What makes the meats so problematic is the nitrates which are added for preservation such as coloring and flavoring. The nitrates are converted into nitrosamines, which have been linked to a number of cancers.

Although the research calls for the reduced consumption of processed meat, this is only one more reason to avoid processed meats altogether. Many processed meats increase your risk of diabetes, negatively impact lung function, and increase your risk of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

Processed meats have also been shown to increase your risk of:

Colon cancer by 50 percent
Bladder cancer by 59 percent
Stomach cancer by 38 percent
Pancreatic cancer by 67 percent

Of course processed meats aren’t the only thing to look out for. Foods which have undergone processing measures will seldom be found in a healthy selection of foods. What may interest you is the fact that fatty processed foods have been shown to trigger addiction and lead to brain damage, which is one explanation as to why people want so much of them. In fact, growing evidence finds processed foods and sugary drinks are as addictive as cocaine.

The solution? Simply limit your consumption of processed meats and processed foods in general. It may seem difficult, as these foods have probably been around your entire life. However, making this necessary change will not only dramatically improve your health, but also prove that you have the power and self-control to make what may seem like a drastic change to your diet.

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