How Healthy are Processed Meats?
Heavy consumption of bacon, sausage, hot dogs, cold cuts and other processed meats can increase your risk of heart disease and diabetes according to a Harvard School of Public Health study. It also found that eating unprocessed beef, pork or lamb does not appear to have the same effect; which suggests that salt and chemical preservatives are the critical factor and not the meat.
While the study is not conclusive, it makes a good recommendation to limit consumption of processed meats to one serving per week or less. Processed meat is defined as meat which is preserved by smoking, curing or salting, or adding chemical preservatives. It contains an average of four times more sodium and 50% more nitrate preservatives.
The source link below maps to the press release which provides additional information.
Source
Harvard press release
Video
Reuters
While the study is not conclusive, it makes a good recommendation to limit consumption of processed meats to one serving per week or less. Processed meat is defined as meat which is preserved by smoking, curing or salting, or adding chemical preservatives. It contains an average of four times more sodium and 50% more nitrate preservatives.
The source link below maps to the press release which provides additional information.
Source
Harvard press release
Video
Reuters
I found out a couple years back how bad processed meat was. I quickly decided to stop eating them. I think red meat in general should be eaten in moderation, if at all.
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