Processed meats cause cancer.
In the US, where there is the highest consumption of processed meats, there is the highest cancer rates.
In the Orient where they eat the least amount of processed food intake, they have the lowest cancer rates.
Eskimos who never eat processed meats never get cancer.
Therefor processed meats cause cancer.
This is the typical logic. Of course, dill pickles cause cancer….in the US where there is the highest intake of dill pickles….you get the picture.
So, when you hear that processed meats cause cancer, what should you think?
Processed meats have sodium nitrates.
Processed meats include bacon, sausage, hot dogs, sandwich meats, packaged and processed ham, pepperoni, salami and almost all commercially produced red meat used in frozen prepared meals. These meats all have sodium nitrates.
Sodium nitrates are carcinogenic.
They are used to keep the meats their pretty colors, their fresh looking colors.
Sodium nitrates are used as a color fixer by meat companies to keep 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.
But the cancer risk is not based on a logic as above. The cancer risks are well publicized in PubMed.
Consider this title…
“Red meat, family history, and increased risk of gastric cancer with microsatellite instability.”
Also note the recommended treatment to prevent cancer…at the end of the above abstract. It suggested a increase in raw food diet. Raw as in fruit and vegetables.
A number of articles started with similar introductions such as this one….
“Processed and red meat consumption is associated with the risk of colorectal cancer. Meta-analyses have suggested that the risk associated with processed meat is higher. Most processed meats are cured and cooked, which leads to formation of free nitrosyl heme. We speculated that free nitrosyl heme is more toxic than native myoglobin.”
Health concerns relating to the use of nitrates and nitrites in cured meats (cooked and dry cured) trend toward decreased usage to alleviate the potential risk to the consumers from formation of carcinogenic compounds.
This is not pseudo science. This is not the pseudo logic like above. This is scientific studies that are saying this.
One of the underlying causes of cancer is what we eat. One of the ways to decrease your risk of cancer is to avoid foods with nitrates.
Nitrates are not used in chicken and fish.
How can you get healthy meats?
There are a number of ways. There is organic meat. Another option is Cow Pooling (where a number of people go together to share the cost of growing their own beef).
The most important thing, avoid processed meats.
Increase the intake of raw fruits and vegetables.
Also you can increase your intake of foods that will help boost your glutathione.