processed meat Archives

Did you happen to hear the headlines a few weeks ago telling us it's now safe to eat red and processed meats? I sure did, and as I suspected, it was "baloney." (Rule #1: Assume everything you hear or read is probably untrue until you research it.)

The article making that claim was printed in the Annals of Internal Medicine, the same publication that 5 years ago stated we no longer had to be concerned with saturated fat. You may recall the sensationalized headlines which followed, such as "Butter is Back." But what you may not know is that the Annals had to later issue a correction due to the major errors contained in that article.

That same journal has now published an article that Americans no longer need to limit the amount of red and processed meat they're consuming. And as expected, the article is filled with misleading information based on flawed study design, disputable interpretations, questionable funding, and the authors opinions that Americans won't give up their meat. In fact, the study results actually support the opposite of what the authors are claiming!

When this made the news, backlash immediately ensued by many respectable organizations which pointed out the flaws in the article. Here are a few articles you'll find helpful:

Dr. Pam Popper: Are Red and Processed Meats Safe to Eat?

Dr. T. Colin Campbell: Hullabaloo! A State of Confused Noise Surrounding Meat Consumption

Dr. David Katz: In an interview with The Independent

Dr. Neal Barnard: Journal Advice to Eat Cancer-Causing Meats: Science or Clickbait?

There are many other rebuttals out there, but I'm sure you get the gist. How irresponsible for this panel to cherry-pick which studies to include and mislead people into eating the very foods that are making them sick and leading to premature death.

Please, please do not base your food choices and health decisions on rigged science or glamorized headlines. Read my article on how to evaluate what your hear and read.

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Hey there ~ I recently submitted the below 'Letter to the Editor' to two local newspapers. Please share this vital information with your family and friends.

Dear Editor,

Summertime. The season of cooperative weather, gardening, and enjoying our favorite outdoor activities. Between Memorial Day and Labor Day, summer is also known as “peak” hot dog season. Not only are hot dogs regularly served at our social gatherings and picnics, they’re available at festivals, baseball games, store parking lots, fund raisers, and gas stations.

The red tubes filled with a variety of meat pastes, fillers, salt, preservatives, nitrates and flavorings are especially celebrated in hot dog eating contests on National Hot Dog Day. According to marketplace.org, Americans consume around 20 billion hot dogs each year (that’s over 70 per person), with 150 million being eaten on the fourth of July alone.

The public is largely unaware of the connection between processed meats and the very real cancer risk. The American Institute of Cancer Research wholeheartedly agrees with the World Health Organization’s report that processed meats (hot dogs, bacon, sausage, pepperoni, ham, jerky, deli meats, and anything smoked or canned) are ranked in the highest cancer-causing category, along with asbestos, arsenic and tobacco.

Processed meats are KNOWN carcinogens (not just linked to cancer, but initiators of cancer). One daily hot dog, 2 slices of bacon, or one smoked sausage increases the risk for colon cancer by 18%. And that’s just for one portion. All other meats, such as beef, chicken and pork, are ranked in the “probably causes cancer” category.

Processed meats also raise the risk of stomach, prostate and pancreatic cancer. Yet we continue to promote eating a food that’s a bigger contributor to cancer than smoking. I continually strive to raise awareness of the connection between diet and disease by awakening people to the health risks of the Standard American Diet (SAD). The colorectal cancer rates have doubled in recent years in younger adults, and I urge local organizations who sell processed meats, host social events or promote contests to take these matters seriously. Diet is the biggest determinant of our health (greater than genetics or environmental exposures). A whole food, plant-based diet is your best defense in the prevention and reversal of our ever-growing disease rates.

Cyd Notter
Nutrition Educator

It’s now safe to eat red and processed meat?

Is a Hot Dog Really Worth it?

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