The World Cancer Research Fund (WCRF) has just completed a detailed review of more than 7,000 clinical studies covering links between diet and cancer. Its conclusion is rocking the health world with startling bluntness: Processed meats are too dangerous for human consumption. Consumers should stop buying and eating all processed meat products for the rest of their lives.
Processed meats include bacon, sausage, hot dogs, sandwich meat, packaged ham, pepperoni, salami and virtually all red meat used in frozen prepared meals. They are usually manufactured with a carcinogenic ingredient known as sodium nitrite. This is used as a color fixer by meat companies to turn packaged meats a bright red color so they look fresh. Unfortunately, sodium nitrite also results in the formation of cancer-causing nitrosamines in the human body. And this leads to a sharp increase in cancer risk for those who eat them.
A 2005 University of Hawaii study found that processed meats increase the risk of pancreatic cancer by 67 percent. Another study revealed that every 50 grams of processed meat consumed daily increases the risk of colorectal cancer by 21 percent. These are alarming numbers. Note that these cancer risks do not come from eating fresh, non-processed meats. They only appear in people who regularly consume processed meat products containing sodium nitrite.
Sodium nitrite appears predominantly in red meat products (you won’t find it in chicken or fish products). Here’s a short list of food items to check carefully for sodium nitrite and monosodium glutamate (MSG), another dangerous additive:
- Beef jerky
- Bacon
- Sausage
- Hot dogs
- Sandwich meat
- Frozen pizza with meat
- Canned soups with meat
- Frozen meals with meat
- Ravioli and meat pasta foods
- Kid’s meals containing red meat
- Sandwich meat used at popular restaurants
- Nearly all red meats sold at public schools, restaurants, hospitals, hotels and theme parks
If sodium nitrite is so dangerous to humans, why do the FDA and USDA continue to allow this cancer-causing chemical to be used? The answer, of course, is that food industry interests now dominate the actions by U.S. government regulators. The USDA, for example, tried to ban sodium nitrite in the late 1970′s but was overridden by the meat industry.5 It insisted the chemical was safe and accused the USDA of trying to “ban bacon.”
Today, the corporations that dominate American food and agricultural interests hold tremendous influence over the FDA and USDA. Consumers are offered no real protection from dangerous chemicals intentionally added to foods, medicines and personal care products.
You can protect yourself and your family from the dangers of processed meats by following a few simple rules:
- Always read ingredient labels.
- Don’t buy anything made with sodium nitrite or monosodium glutamate.
- Don’t eat red meats served by restaurants, schools, hospitals, hotels or other institutions.
And finally, eat more fresh produce with every meal. There is evidence that natural vitamin C found in citrus fruits and exotic berries (like camu camu) helps prevent the formation of cancer-causing nitrosamines, protecting you from the devastating health effects of sodium nitrite in processed meats. The best defense, of course, is to avoid eating processed meats altogether.
For more information about how to prevent cancer you can find also at World Cancer Research Fund’s web page.
Can you link to the study from the World Cancer Research Fund?
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Done!
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I think Adam is referring to the actual research trial, not the article you have blindly re-posted. The actual trial didn’t state that processed meat is too dangerous for human consumption.
WCRF state that, “People who eat red meat to consume less than 500 g (18 oz) a week, very little if any to be processed.”
http://www.dietandcancerreport.org/expert_report/recommendations/recommendation_animal_foods.php
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A reference to the American Institute for Cancer Research has some further links:
http://preventcancer.aicr.org/site/News2?page=NewsArticle&id=12898&news_iv_ctrl=0&abbr=pr_
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sourcematerial2013, it is what you think, but may be better to ask to Adam directly? 😀
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Thanks, James.
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Good to know – thanks! Can you also please send me the link?
Considering the fact that producers use creative ways to mention the toxics in our food, I was just reading a little more how sodium nitrite is mentioned on the ingredient labels. I found (maybe worth to double check) that producers don’t need to mention “sodium nitrite”. In the US it says “Cured” and in the EU “E250”.
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Pretty! This was an incredibly wonderful article.
Thank you for providing this information.
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I love your blog.. very nice colors & theme. Did you make this website yourself or did
you hire someone to do it for you? Plz answer back as I’m looking to construct my own blog and would like to know where u got this from. many thanks
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Thanks for kind words! Actually I went cheapest and simpliest way – just to use Pilcrow theme template and made some changes… That’s all. Best wishes and regards, Alex
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RE GENERAL STATEMENTMADE BY MEDIA ABOUT MEATS…… This is propoganda..My mother is 96…scarred lungs from TB at 18…and eats a BLT almost everyday.Only medicine she is prescribed is a pain pill As Needed for a back injury while at work 30+ years ago..I am so tired of imbeciles jumping to conclusions and shouting alarms when their science is faulty.
People who never ever smoked or were around smoke or construction get Lung Cancer and 100 year old smokers do not….SOOO.”Splain That LUCY.
GENETICS….
IT IS NOT THE MEAT IT IS THE CHEMICALS…READ THE LABELS…
THESE SCIENTISTS probably short sold BEEF stock…….
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