Processed meat 'early death' link
Source: BBC News
Sausages, ham, bacon and other processed meats appear to increase the risk of dying young, a study of half a million people across Europe suggests.
It concluded diets high in processed meats were linked to cardiovascular disease, cancer and early deaths.
The researchers, writing in the journal BMC Medicine, said salt and chemicals used to preserve the meat may damage health.
The British Heart Foundation suggested opting for leaner cuts of meat.
Read more: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-21682779
Meat consumption and mortality - results from the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition http://www.biomedcentral.com/1741-7015/11/63/abstract
leftyohiolib
(5,917 posts)Submariner
(12,504 posts)nomorenomore08
(13,324 posts)And reduced meat consumption across the board can only be a good thing.
dipsydoodle
(42,239 posts)and I'm guessing it don't come much more processed than that.
nomorenomore08
(13,324 posts)When I order Hawaiian I usually include a couple pieces of Spam musubi - basically Spam sushi, with chunks of the stuff wrapped in rice and seaweed. Seriously, it's delicious!
AAO
(3,300 posts)Frying at a high temperature literally "fries out" the processment.
Historic NY
(37,449 posts)but then I eat it maybe once or thrice a month. I due use it in several recipies. I don't know if nuking it is better but it cut a lots of the fats.
Pretty much anything processed is bad, especially hot dogs and cold cuts.
formercia
(18,479 posts)I feel much better since no linger eating it. Too bad. I would love a char-broiled Steak.
aquart
(69,014 posts)FarCenter
(19,429 posts)Meat consumption and mortality results from the European Prospective
Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition
http://www.ukdistribute.com/links/1362475990011-Meat%20consumption%20and%20mortality%20%20results%20from%20the%20European%20Prospective%20Investigation%20into%20Cancer%20and%20Nutrition.pdf
In the EPIC cohort, a high consumption of processed meat was related to moderately higher all-cause mortality. After correction for measurement error, red meat intake was no longer associated with mortality, and there was no association with the consumption of poultry. Processed meat consumption was associated with increased risk of death from cardiovascular diseases and cancer.
It appears that people consuming a small amount of red meat and poultry had lower mortality than people consuming large amounts of processed meats or people who were vegetarians.
djean111
(14,255 posts)"We estimated that 3.3% (95% CI 1.5-5.0%) of deaths could be prevented if all participants had a processed meat consumption of less than 20 g per day."
I'll take bacon over the GMO high fructose laden sugary chemical laden pesticide crap that the FDA says is perfectly okay.
Lessee, BPA in cans, artificial sweeteners that are horrendous, poisonous plastic water bottles.
As Stephen King says - everything's eventual.
I am, frankly, more afraid of being killed by our for-profit-only health care system than I am of bacon.
Heather MC
(8,084 posts)panzerfaust
(2,818 posts)Dr Carrie Ruxton, a nutritionist who sits on the meat industry-funded Meat Advisory Panel, said the study's findings were not robust enough to justify changing public health advice. The fact those who consumed the largest amounts of processed meat also displayed other unhealthy habits meant it was hard to confidently ascribe risk of death to meat eating alone ...
Oh yes, it comes back to me: Leaded gasoline, Tobacco's role in causing cancer, Asbestos, Chlorofluorocarbons, Second hand smoke, Anthropomorphic CO2 mediated global warming ... I'll bet this latest "science" is no better than all of this other left-wing fuzzy thinking pseudo-science.
Do not believe these lefty lies for an instant: Processed meat - ham, burgers, salami, sausages, hotdogs, bacon, etc - are GOOD for you. Keep stuffing it in and show you are a Real Patriotic Freedum Luving Merican!
God Bless.
AAO
(3,300 posts)Javaman
(62,530 posts)about 20 years ago I figured out my random headaches were triggered by the nitrates in processed meats.
Folks, yes factory farmed meat turned into "processed" meat is inherently bad for you. First because it's factory farmed meat but also the gross amount of preservatives in it.
If you can, go to a farmers market to get your meat from a local cattle rancher.
I'm lucky enough to have a fantastic farm near me here in Austin, Richardson's Farms. they have a closed loop, no drugs, no hormones, grow their own feed and have a closed loop ranch.
Here is a simple tip for judging how good your beef is when you buy it. Look at the fat, if it's pearly white, don't eat it, that means they were never give a grass diet. A good grass diet will turn the fat yellowish due to the high amount of beta-carotene.
It will be more expensive (actually buying your meat in this manner actually reflects the real cost of meat) and it tastes so much better.
Get to know the farmer, question them about their practices and methods in raising their beef. A healthy meat eater is an informed meat eater.
mainer
(12,022 posts)You have to go directly to the farmer to get traditionally cured (i.e. no preservatives) meats. Too bad.
The best prosciutto I ever ate was in Italy, from a winemaker who went down to his cellar and carved off slices from hams he had hanging down there. No preservatives, not even particularly clean-looking. But boy did it taste good.
Arkana
(24,347 posts)If I die young, I'll damn sure die with a smile on my face.
CarrieLynne
(497 posts)I eat red meat about twice a year....pork only a little more than that...I'm almost 100% chicken and veggies....I dont eat fast food, dont buy anything in bags or cans...but still....alot of veggies have pesticides, wax and who knows what else, chicken is shot up with whatever the hell and packed in 'flavor enhancers' or whatever...and even half the stuff marked "organic" is anything but....
I'm very frustrated about this lately....I really want to eat well and not ingest chemicals but its nearly impossible....
athena
(4,187 posts)In fact, if you're concerned about your health, a plant-based diet is the best way to go. I've been reading a lot about this lately.
See, for example:
It is the position of the American Dietetic Association that appropriately planned vegetarian diets, including total vegetarian or vegan diets, are healthful, nutritionally adequate, and may provide health benefits in the prevention and treatment of certain diseases. Well-planned vegetarian diets are appropriate for individuals during all stages of the life cycle, including pregnancy, lactation, infancy, childhood, and adolescence, and for athletes. A vegetarian diet is defined as one that does not include meat (including fowl) or seafood, or products containing those foods. This article reviews the current data related to key nutrients for vegetarians including protein, n-3 fatty acids, iron, zinc, iodine, calcium, and vitamins D and B-12. A vegetarian diet can meet current recommendations for all of these nutrients. In some cases, supplements or fortified foods can provide useful amounts of important nutrients. An evidence- based review showed that vegetarian diets can be nutritionally adequate in pregnancy and result in positive maternal and infant health outcomes. The results of an evidence-based review showed that a vegetarian diet is associated with a lower risk of death from ischemic heart disease. Vegetarians also appear to have lower low-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels, lower blood pressure, and lower rates of hypertension and type 2 diabetes than nonvegetarians. Furthermore, vegetarians tend to have a lower body mass index and lower overall cancer rates. Features of a vegetarian diet that may reduce risk of chronic disease include lower intakes of saturated fat and cholesterol and higher intakes of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, nuts, soy products, fiber, and phytochemicals. The variability of dietary practices among vegetarians makes individual assessment of dietary adequacy essential. In addition to assessing dietary adequacy, food and nutrition professionals can also play key roles in educating vegetarians about sources of specific nutrients, food purchase and preparation, and dietary modifications to meet their needs.
From http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19562864 (emphasis mine).
athena
(4,187 posts)There is significant evidence that a plant-based diet reduces rates of heart disease and cancer. The only reason you don't hear about it is that the very industries that promote animal products are in charge of defining what constitutes a "healthy" diet.
See, for example:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/kathy-freston/vegan-diet-cancer_b_2250052.html
My husband and I started first by having plant-based dinners one day a week. After watching "Vegucated," we decided we could no longer contribute to an industry that inflicts so much suffering on animals as well as so much damage on the environment. So far, it has been much easier than we expected. When you're no longer eating animal products, vegetables all of a sudden start tasting better.
RebelOne
(30,947 posts)I have not eaten meat for 15 years. My health is fine except for high blood pressure. It is genetic my doctor told me. All relatives on my mother's side had it. I am 74 years old and not obese. But I do smoke, which may contribute to my demise, but I am trying to cut back to add a few more years to my life. I plan on being around for at least another 10 years.
athena
(4,187 posts)We switched only three weeks ago, and even then, we first finished the remaining eggs in the fridge, since I didn't see what good it would do to throw them out. I hope I, too, will be able to say one day that I haven't eaten meat for 15 years.
About 12 years ago, I went vegan. I was a struggling grad student, though, and I gave up after four months. I wish I had stuck to it, but it's hard to do everything right. You do what you can, given your situation.
I wish you a long and healthy life. Exercise is also important, so if you walk for 20 minutes every day, that may make up for the smoking.
Botany
(70,504 posts)magic59
(429 posts)for the 50 million Americans without health insurance.
killbotfactory
(13,566 posts)I'm not sure how it's set up overseas, but in the US the market is kind of flooded with subsidized, factory farmed, and highly processed meat products. It's hard to avoid. We get cheap grains, and cheap meat since they are fed cheap grains, and raised in horrible conditions by the cheapest and sometimes illegal labor force a company can find.
If you are hungry and have little money, it's now cheaper (and more immediately satisfying) to eat a burger than it is to each fresh fruits and veggies. That's dumb. It's a societal problem really, but it's easier to dismiss as a failing of personal choice and wag our collective fingers at people who are highly stressed from work and choose to eat a cheap instantly available burger with bacon over a healthy meal that will cost just as much or more and requires upwards of 30 minutes of cooking, prep, and cleanup. We've made eating healthy expensive and inconvenient, and we wonder why people don't make healthy "choices" when they eat?
Skittles
(153,160 posts)don't you know it's better to eat a steak than an orange? Some people actually BELIEVE that.