© Bill Hogan/Chicago Tribune/MCT
Processed Meat Associated With Cancer
Trending News: Read This Now Or Risk Dying (From Bacon)
Why Is This Important?
Because for some people, bacon is life.
Long Story Short
Processed meats, like hot dogs, bacon and some packaged deli meats have a clear, though small, association with an increased risk of cancer. It’s believed to be due to a combination of nitrates and heme.
Thankfully, the only people who still talk about bacon ad-nauseum are the ones who have failed to remove the “cool dad” filter from their computers that delays the internet by about five years. Still, there are few things in life more enjoyable than crisp bacon in the morning or a hotdog (or six) at a ballgame, which is why it should be concerning that those and other processed meats are positively correlated with an increased risk of cancer.
The curated article at examiner.com is pretty heavy on the statistics and science, but in a nutshell: Processed meats have a statistically significant association with cancer risk, though it may be a little overblown. In other words yes, those bacon-wrapped hot dogs will kill you, but as with all things, the dose is the poison. Eat something, anything else more often than not, and barring any other risk factors you’ll probably be OK.
What’s more interesting is the chemical cocktail that makes processed meats more dangerous than other meats: Nitrates and heme, an iron- and protein-based component of hemoglobin. Nitrates are found in both white meats vegetables, neither of which are associated with cancer increased cancer risk. However, red meats and (especially) processed meats contain heme, which appears to act as a catalyst for the nitrates — nitrates can “nitrosylate” certain compounds, and it has a particular affinity for the iron in heme. They form nitrosamines, a known carcinogen.
Again, the risk is small — the hazard ratio was just 1.11-1.12, but it’s dose-dependent. If you’re someone who depends on cheap deli meat, hot dogs, bacon and other processed meats as a primary source of protein in your diet, you could theoretically be asking for trouble. The good news is that there are plenty of healthier alternatives to these foods out there, especially nitrate-free bacon and hot dogs.
Own The Conversation
Ask The Big Question: Is this really worth worrying about?
Disrupt Your Feed: Scallops taste better without the bacon wrapping, anyway.
Drop This Fact: While red meat isn’t inherently linked to increased cancer risk, charring the hell out of it creates chemical compounds that are carcinogenic.