Hot dogs at baseball games. Sunday morning bacon. German bratwurst on the grill. American culture is full of happy occasions, which often involve eating processed meats. Most recommendable, according to experts, is that this indulgence is nothing more than an occasional pleasure.
“There is very compelling evidence that regular consumption of processed meat is harmful to health, including colon cancer, type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease,” said Frank Hu, professor of nutrition and epidemiology and director of the Department of Nutrition the Harvard TH Chan School of Public Health. And, he said, most health experts agree that “processed meat is more harmful than unprocessed meat.”
Processed meats include ham, sausage, bacon, bologna, smoked turkey, salami, sausage, beef jerky, pepperoni, and even sauces made with these products. When meat is processed, it is smoked, fermented, cured, or salted to enhance its flavor and extend its shelf life.
The WHO (World Health Organization) declared in 2015 that processed meat is carcinogenic to humans, citing “sufficient evidence” that it causes colon cancer.
The World Cancer Research Fund International recommends minimal or no processed meat consumption and limiting red meat to about three servings per week (350 to 500 grams total).
It’s important to limit your consumption of red meat — most commonly beef or pork in the US — even if unprocessed, because it’s linked not only to cancer but also to cardiovascular disease, stroke, and the general risk of death in the United States is connected. (In its 2015 statement on processed meat, the WHO classified red meat as “probably carcinogenic.”)
Because of the way research is conducted today, experts cannot recommend one type of processed meat over another. Hu explained, “Most of the studies focus on highly processed meats — sausages, sausages, bacon.”
Because most studies treat all types of processed meat together, “it’s difficult to say conclusively which processed meats are better or worse than others,” he said. Additionally, people who regularly consume one type of processed meat tend to eat others as well, making it difficult to distinguish the effects of one type or the other.
“In theory, we can argue that processed poultry and fish are not as harmful as processed red meat,” Hu said, citing the lower levels of saturated fat in poultry and fish and the abundance of omega3 fatty acids in certain types of fish. “But we don’t have evidence of that,” so it’s best to treat processed poultry and fish with the same caution until more research is done.
The biggest problem seems to be the processing itself, not the origin of the processed meat, said Marji McCullough, senior scientific director for epidemiological research at the American Cancer Society. Curing and canning meat with nitrates and nitrites, which can create cancercausing chemical compounds in food, may contribute to cancer risk, she said.
Another possible variable is that cooking meat at high temperatures can produce additional carcinogens. This includes cooking the meat in direct contact with a flame or hot surface, such as when grilling, roasting, or grilling.
In addition to cancer risks, all processed meats tend to be high in sodium, which is an important factor, Hu said. Too much sodium can increase the risk of high blood pressure and cardiovascular disease.
Processed meat has also been linked to a higher risk of developing type 2 diabetes and dementia. For example, a large 2021 study conducted in the UK found that for every additional 25 grams of processed meat in a person’s daily diet, their risk of dementia increases by 44% and their risk of Alzheimer’s increases by 52%.
Vijaya Surampudi, associate professor of medicine at UCLA’s Center for Human Nutrition, said the concern about processed meat is that it can increase inflammation in the body, in part by altering the gut microbiome.
“The gut bacteria react with our immune system, and that ultimately leads to chronic inflammation,” she said, which can affect blood pressure, blood sugar and cholesterol levels and increase the risk of chronic disease and even death.
“A plantbased diet reduces these risks,” Surampudi said. “It doesn’t mean you have to be 100% vegan or vegetarian,” just that the majority of your diet should be plantbased.
This type of food is also more beneficial to the environment.
So does that mean it’s better to consume plantbased processed meat alternatives?
“Processed meat alternatives are potentially better than processed meat, but not all processed alternatives are created equal,” Hu said. It depends on what they are made of: whether they are analogues of purely vegetable origin or products made from a mixture of meat and vegetables. In any case, he stressed, “a more ideal diet should be based on minimally processed plantbased foods.”
What about products that say “no added nitrates or nitrites” on the label? Nitratefree meat may contain ingredients like celery juice, a natural nitrate, but it’s not clear if it’s better for your health than products made with nitrates or synthetic nitrites.
Regarding products labeled as “organic”, “antibioticfree”, “vegetarianfed” or “crueltyfree”, Surampudi commented, “I think when people choose between lean cuts of meat, organic meat or animalfeeding a vegetarian can choose nutrition, this is better. That’s because the animal you’re consuming is concentrated in your body, and then we’re consuming it. It is important to consider this factor with all foods of animal origin, whether processed or not.
Ultimately, the processed meat that does the most harm is what people routinely consume, rather than reserving it for the occasional treat. In other words, enjoy your hot dog or sausage every once in a while—say, at a baseball game or a family barbecue. Just don’t make it a habit.
Translation by Clara Allain