Bacon, ham and sausages 'as big a cancer threat as smoking', WHO warns

[Meatpie]

[SUB]When meat is preserved by smoking, curing or salting, or by adding preservatives, cancer-causing substances (carcinogens) can be formed.

[/SUB]Global health experts are to warn that bacon, ham and sausages are as big a cancer threat as cigarettes, it has been reported.

The World Health Organisation (WHO) will publish a report on Monday on the dangers of eating processed meats. It is expected to list processed meat as a cancer-causing substance, while fresh red meat is also expected to be regarded as bad for health, the Daily Mail said.

The classifications, by the WHO's International Agency for Research on Cancer, are believed to regard processed meat as "carcinogenic to humans", the highest of five possible rankings, shared with alcohol, asbestos, arsenic and cigarettes.

The World Cancer Research Fund (WCRF) has warned for several years that there is "strong evidence" that consuming a lot of red meat can cause bowel cancer.

It also says there is "strong evidence" that processed meats - even in smaller quantities - increase cancer risk.

One possible reason is that the compound that gives red meat its colour, haem, may damage the lining of the bowel.
In addition, when meat is preserved by smoking, curing or salting, or by adding preservatives, cancer-causing substances (carcinogens) can be formed.

Studies also show that people who eat a lot of red meat tend to eat fewer plant-based foods that protect against cancer.

The WCRF advises that people can reduce their bowel cancer risk by eating no more than 500g (cooked weight) per week of red meat, such as beef, pork and lamb.

It also says people should eat processed meats such as ham, bacon and salami as little as possible.

Foods like hamburgers, minced beef, pork chops and roast lamb are also regarded as red meat.
As a rough guide, the WCRF says 500g of cooked red meat is the same as 700g of raw red meat.

Processed meat is meat which has been preserved by smoking, curing or salting, or by the addition of preservatives.
Examples include ham, bacon, pastrami and salami, as well as hot dogs and some sausages.

So, would you cut back on red meat to reduce your risk of developing cancer? Please take part in our poll!

 

[feettartar]

As man began to walk upright, he lost his long canines other animals still have to specifically eat [raw] meat. Our teeth are now 'designed' to eat what our bodies are 'designed' to be nourished by - fruits , nuts, veggies, etc. The only way we CAN eat meat is by cooking it beforehand.
When the 10 Commandments said 'Thou shalt not KILL', it was NOT SPECIES-SPECIFIC FOR A REASON!

 

[deaddirty]

It's been known for years that cured meats have a cancer risk, probably due to the nitrites in them - but I very much doubt if the risk is as high as from cigarettes. For red meats, I think it's still unclear whether there is an active risk, or just that a high-fibre diet has a protective effect and as Meatpie says heavy meat-eaters tend not to eat much veg.
Personally I eat a mainly vegetarian and wholemeal diet, but I'm not A vegetarian - I do eat meat once in a while but much less than most Brits.

 

[alexonedeath]

You needn't pay one bit of attention to any nonsense spouted by the health care system. Its spokespeople have no idea what they are talking about, and their regular pronouncements over the years have been nothing more than sorry-ass attempts to appear relevant. Eat whatever you like. Go ahead and smoke if you wish. Nothing matters.

 

[lindier]

The healthy eating brigade over here have a new target in their sights: sugar and in particular sugary drinks. No longer sweet but the main road to obesity. Which is rather sad. After all no one is forced to drink Coke with its alleged ten spoonfuls of sugar per can. There are plenty of alternatives, sugar free drinks or even water, readily available. But pressure is building up for a twenty per cent tax on such drinks supported by St. Jamie Oliver.
Sad really. Because some parents haven't learned to say no to their children or idiots drink multi pints in the pub every night, the rest of us are to suffer tax.
Now I accept obesity is a problem. So let's tax the obese. This would cut down the money they have available to spend on food thus reducing their obesity. We could even make it a criminal offence to weigh in over the average. If we get the culprits into prison then we could enforce strict cold turkey, after all lean poultry is low in calories. Obviously exceptions would have to be made for those with genuine medical problems.
It ain't going to happen, look at the size of some of our MPs , Nicholas Soames and Eric Pickles come immediately to mind, and doubtless the human rights lobby would have a field day. I'm not even sure i would approve. But is it any more heinous than taxing sugar.
Maybe someone else can make more sense of the arguments. But ain't it good that Cdg has reopened to those of us not on the premium account.
Serious postings resume soon once the euphoria of return has passed.
Finally do your prefer your guys to be lean or fat?

 

[Meatpie]

Finally do your prefer your guys to be lean or fat?

Lean of course. And hairy. Lean and hairy is best.

 

[phyzzique]

The healthy eating brigade over here have a new target in their sights: sugar and in particular sugary drinks. No longer sweet but the main road to obesity. Which is rather sad. After all no one is forced to drink Coke with its alleged ten spoonfuls of sugar per can. There are plenty of alternatives, sugar free drinks or even water, readily available. But pressure is building up for a twenty per cent tax on such drinks supported by St. Jamie Oliver.
Sad really. Because some parents haven't learned to say no to their children or idiots drink multi pints in the pub every night, the rest of us are to suffer tax.
Now I accept obesity is a problem. So let's tax the obese. This would cut down the money they have available to spend on food thus reducing their obesity. We could even make it a criminal offence to weigh in over the average. If we get the culprits into prison then we could enforce strict cold turkey, after all lean poultry is low in calories. Obviously exceptions would have to be made for those with genuine medical problems.
It ain't going to happen, look at the size of some of our MPs , Nicholas Soames and Eric Pickles come immediately to mind, and doubtless the human rights lobby would have a field day. I'm not even sure i would approve. But is it any more heinous than taxing sugar.
Maybe someone else can make more sense of the arguments. But ain't it good that Cdg has reopened to those of us not on the premium account.
Serious postings resume soon once the euphoria of return has passed.
Finally do your prefer your guys to be lean or fat?

THE best way to cure obesity.......Kill all the fat people!

 

[alexonedeath]

I vote for lean! My fat boss used to always order a DIET soft-drink to go with his greasy pizza for lunch. That was such a joke. If he'd been serious about his weight, he would've ordered a salad. Even if I had killed him, though, it would have left SO MANY fat people still standing in the way of a cure.

 

[PiercedChest]

Lean of course. And hairy. Lean and hairy is best.

Of course you can be lean and hairy and still eat meat.

 

[THE PUNISHER]

Yes ~ I have cut back on my meat ~ still eat some but it is fresh and small servings.

 

[lindier]

I vote for lean! My fat boss used to always order a DIET soft-drink to go with his greasy pizza for lunch. That was such a joke. If he'd been serious about his weight, he would've ordered a salad. Even if I had killed him, though, it would have left SO MANY fat people still standing in the way of a cure.

I guess your boss is one of those guys who likes to think he is virtuous by eschewing the full sugared Coke. There could however be logic in what he is doing if he is a type 2 diabetic sin the ten spoonfuls of sugar in his drink would not do him much good. However I agree with you that a salad might be more appropriate than his pizza

 

[feettartar]

How about the fact that they've also now mentioned 'in passing' that they also found human DNA in 2% of the samples of sausages, hot dogs, etc!

 

[alexonedeath]

How about the fact that they've also now mentioned 'in passing' that they also found human DNA in 2% of the samples of sausages, hot dogs, etc!

Yes, I saw that article yesterday. It's disgusting, but probably everything that goes through any sort of processing is contaminated. I try not to think about it.

 

[lindier]

According to the Torygraph about 10% of vegetarian sausages include meat products. To a committed vegetarian that's probably worse thatbrhe human Dna which is more likely to be saliva etc rather than actual human meats

 

[alexonedeath]

Strangely enough, all this talk about tainted hot dogs and sausages has made me hungry as hell for some. I see these photos of supermarket cases full of lunch meats, and I am just salivating like crazy. I don't care about the DNA. I want MEAT (no vegetarian versions of the real thing please)!

 

[tite]

will be the human flesh of cancer Also we change the menu eat human meat is healthier and let your feet for me.

 

[Marky]

Ohhh... man! Once it was the feel of a noose around my neck... or the straps of the electric chair tightening around my chest... or the sizzle and crackle of the burning brushwood around the stake to which I am chained... but now? Now I'm pantingly orgasmic about my breakfast bacon sandwich. Damn these scientists and their fantasy fodder!

 

[Lycanthrope]

We all have a date with Death, I find it pointless to cut back on meat and bacon just to live a little bit longer. At the end of a good life, be it 8 or 80 all that matters is that I have helped others and improve the lives of others.