More Reasons to Avoid Processed Meats

Virtually all processed meats contain another well-known carcinogen: sodium nitrite. It's a commonly used preservative and antimicrobial agent that also adds color and flavor to processed and cured meats. Hot dogs, deli meats and bacon are notorious for their nitrite content, so even though they might be low in HCA's, they are far from healthful.

Nitrites can be converted into nitrosamines in your body, which are potent cancer-causing chemicals. Research has linked nitrites to higher rates of colorectal-, stomach- and pancreatic cancer and now, Alzheimer's Disease, which is a huge concern for our loved ones with DS.

Needless to say, should you choose to char your hot dog on the grill instead of heating it up in the microwave (which is what these researchers did) then you'd have both nitrites and HCA's to contend with from that hot dog.

The truth is, processed meats are not a healthful choice for anyone and should be avoided entirely, according to a recent review of more than 7,000 clinical studies examining the connection between diet and cancer! The report was commissioned by The World Cancer Research Fund (WCRF) using money raised from the general public. Therefore the findings were not influenced by any vested interests, which makes it all the more reliable.

It's the biggest review of the evidence ever undertaken, and it confirms previous findings: Processed meats increase your risk of cancer, especially bowel cancer, and NO amount of processed meat is "safe." A previous analysis by the WCRF found that eating just one sausage a day raises your risk of developing bowel cancer by 20 percent!

Other studies have also found that processed meats increase your risk of:

Colon cancer by 50 percent
Bladder cancer by 59 percent
Stomach cancer by 38 percent
Pancreatic cancer by 67 percent

And that's not all.

Hot dogs, bacon, salami and other processed meats may also increase your risk of diabetes by 50 percent, and lower your lung function and increase your risk of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).

People who eat processed meats regularly also tend to eat fewer vegetables than others, which likely only compounds any health risks.

So what's the moral of this story?

Don't jump to conclusions based on piecemeal reporting. The overall evidence is actually pretty cut-and-dry: processed meats will raise your cancer risk and should be avoided as much as possible. So, don't believe you're eating healthier by switching from grilled chicken to hot dogs and other processed meats.

How to Shop for Less Harmful Hot Dogs and Deli Meats

Now, if you are going to eat hot dogs or other processed meats once in awhile, here are a few shopping tips to reduce their harmful health effects:

Look for "uncured" varieties that contain NO nitrates
Choose varieties that say 100% beef, 100% chicken, etc. This is the only way to know that the meat is from a single species and does not include byproducts (like chicken skin or chicken fat or other parts)
Avoid any meat that contains MSG, high-fructose corn syrup, preservatives, artificial flavor or artificial color
Ideally, purchase sausages and other processed meats from a small, local farmer who you can ask about the ingredients

Again, these are still not ideal as they're still processed, but they are better than the vast majority of processed meats on the market.

Healthier Meat Choices

Now, if you want to eat truly healthful meat, make sure the meat is organic and grass-fed (preferably from a local farmer). Chickens should be organic, pastured chickens. This is an essential requirement healthy meat.

Meats from conventional Animal Feeding Operations (AFOs) are loaded with pesticides, hormones, antibiotics and other chemicals and should be avoided entirely.

To counteract some of the harmful effects of cooking, add homemade spice rubs, herb-enhanced marinades or even fresh blueberries to your meat prior to cooking it. This will not only impart added health benefits but will also help cut down on the harmful substances formed!

Better yet, use the same spice rubs and marinades, but eat the meat only lightly cooked or raw. Keep in mind though that when eating your meat raw, it's IMPERATIVE that the meat is organically raised and grass-fed. Never eat conventional CAFO meats raw as - CAFO raised meats typically come from very unhealthy animals that can harbor dangerous infectious agents.

Source: Dr. Mercola

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