Study: Processed meats increase pancreatic cancer risk by up to 67 percent
Saturday, May 07, 2016 by: J. D. Heyes
Last year, the World Health Organization issued new guidelines that warned about the dangers of processed meats such as hotdogs, bacon and sausages, in that they dramatically increase your risk of cancer – on a scale similar to smoking cigarettes or breathing in asbestos.
As reported by The Guardian, the WHO, citing research, highlighted the dangers of eating processed meats by placing bacon, ham, sausages and burgers on its list of cancer-causing substances. In addition, even fresh red meat made the list as being unhealthy.
The WHO warning about the "carcinogenicity of red and processed meats," came in a WHO and International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) analysis, published in the UK-based Lancet medical journal.
The guidelines brought the UN's position into line with the World Cancer Research Fund, which also noted that there is enough evidence to suggest that red and processed meats can lead to colorectal cancer (which is also increasing, by the way).
A Group 1 carcinogen
"The Continuous Update Project Panel judged that there was convincing evidence that consuming red meat, processed meat and alcoholic drinks (men); body fatness, abdominal fatness and adult attained height increase the risk of colorectal cancer," the WCRF noted.Indeed, notes Cancer Research UK, the evidence that processed meats increase the risk of cancer has been building for decades. What's more, the organization says that this claim is well-supported by "careful" research.
With years of evidence, and numerous studies that have previously linked processed meats to colorectal (bowel) cancer, the WHO reviewed more than 800 epidemiological studies to make its determination.
"WHO's International Agency for Research on Cancer classifies processed meat — meat altered through salting, curing, fermenting or smoking — as a Group 1 carcinogen," reports Science News. "This group of cancer-causing agents also includes smoking and asbestos. The ranking means there's convincing evidence linking the modified meats to colorectal cancer, evidence as strong as that linking smoking to cancer."
The website Healthy Food Advice reported further that hotdogs were among the worst of processed meats, when it comes to an increased cancer link.
And that's in large part due to how hot dogs are manufactured, the site noted:
"Hot dogs are usually made from chicken, beef and pork meat, but the production process involves adding animal remains such as legs, claws, skin and fat. ... Additives such as corn syrup, monosodium glutamate, salt and many others are added to improve the flavor, which differs from country to country. The worst part about the flavors is that monosodium glutamate and carmine flavors are derived from the shells of tiny bugs that are boiled in sodium carbonate and ammonia!"
Still want that hot dog this summer?
Why didn't we know all of this already?
What's more, the site notes, it's hard to be certain of just what is contained in some hot dog brands, because the labeling isn't clear.Processed meats do not just affect the bowel. According to research conducted by the University of Hawaii, and cited by Healthy Food Advice, processed meats can increase the risk of pancreatic cancer by as much as 67 percent, which is astounding.
"Processed meat almost always contains additives such as nitrites and nitrates, hazardous substances which have been proven to increase the risk of stomach, pancreatic, bladder and bowel cancer. As the American Institute For Cancer Research claims, only a single hot dog daily can increase the risk of colorectal cancer by 21%," the site noted.
Sources:
TheGuardian.com
HealthyFoodAdvice.net
WCRF.org
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