According to WHO, processed meats can be bundled with these threatening carcinogens because of their link with bowel cancer. 

 

"For an individual, the risk of developing colorectal (bowel) cancer because of their consumption of processed meat remains small, but this risk increases with the amount of meat consumed," IARC epidemiologist Dr Kurt Straif said in a statement.

 

Nonetheless, the inclusion of cured meats in the list of carcinogenic foods doesn’t mean that they cause cancer in the same rate with smoking.

 

The WHO revealed that as little as 50-gram portion of processed meat eaten daily increased the risk for bowel cancer by 18 per cent. That’s about three slices of cooked bacon.

 

Their report also linked meat to cancer. It classifies beef, lamb and pork as "probable" carcinogens in a second-tier list that also includes glyphosate, the active ingredient in many weed-killers.

 

The findings were based on an analysis of over 800 studies. "We simply don’t think the evidence support any causal link between any red meat and any type of cancer," said Shalene McNeill, executive director of human nutrition at the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association.

 

Researchers cited recently published studies, like the one from the University of Zurich which found that consuming processed meats increased the risk of dying from both heart disease and cancer. Meanwhile, a review published in British Journal of Cancer in 2012 linked meats like sausage and bacon to an increase risk of pancreatic cancer - a disease that has poor survival rates. Consumption of red meats was also linked to prostate cancer.

 

Meats tend to be high in saturated fats that can harm our body, particularly our cardiovascular system. Consuming it in moderation is always advised.

 

Source of this article:

 

World Health Organization: Processed Meats Cause Cancer

 

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