Processed meat is generally thought to be harmful to health.
In many studies, it is linked to diseases such as cancer and cardiovascular diseases.
It is clear that industrial processed meat products contain many toxic chemicals that are not present in raw meat.
This article will show how the effects of industrially processed meat products affect health.
T What is processed meat?
Processed meat products are meat preserved by treatment such as smoking, salting, drying or canning.
Products classified as processed meat include:
- Sausages, hot sausages, salami sausages.
- Smoked pork , ham.
- Salted meat.
- Smoked pork.
- Dried meat, dried beef.
- Canned meat.
On the other hand, frozen meat or undergoing industrial processing such as slicing is still considered unprocessed.
Crux : Smoked, salted, preserved, dried or canned meat is said to be processed meat. That includes sausages, hot sausages, salami, bacon or ham.
Eat processed meat related to unhealthy lifestyle
Processed meat is easy to cause adverse health effects.
The truth is that health-conscious people have been aware of this for decades.
For this reason, people who do not have a healthy lifestyle often eat a lot of these processed meats.
In fact, bacon is used by people with the most unhealthy lifestyle, and the amount of fruit and vegetables they eat is also much lower .
Most of the results of observational studies on processed meat and human health attempt to correct these factors. However, these methods are never complete.
Processed meat can also cause illness for users. This is partly because people who eat processed meat tend to do things that are not healthy.
However, the study also found a strong link between the consumption of processed meats and many chronic diseases.
Crux : People who do not pay attention to health often eat a lot of processed meat. This may partly explain the link between consumption of processed and high-risk meat products in studies.
Processed meat can cause chronic diseases
Eating processed meat increases the risk of many chronic diseases.
These diseases b ponds include:
- Hypertension (hyperemia) .
- Heart disease .
- Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) .
- Colorectal cancer and stomach cancer .
Studies on processed meat consumption in humans are all natural observations.
Results showed that people who ate processed meat often suffer from these diseases, but they cannot prove processed meat cause these diseases.
However, the evidence is very compelling because the relationship is quite tight and consistent.
Moreover, these are based on animal research. For example, studies in mice showed that eating processed meat increased the risk of intestinal cancers .
It is obvious that processed meat contains many toxic chemical compounds that may increase the risk of chronic diseases. The compound was discovered by many studies below.
Crux : Eating a lot of processed meat for a long time can increase the risk of chronic diseases like heart disease and cancer.
Nitrite, N-Nitroso and Nitrosamine compounds
N-nitroso compounds are compounds that cause cancer and are thought to be harmful to the consumption of processed meat.
They formed from nitrite (NaNo2 sodium nitrite) are often added to processed meat products.
Sodium nitrite (NaNO2) is used as an additive for 3 reasons:
- To keep the red / pink of meat.
- To increase flavor by inhibiting oxidation of fat (ripening).
- To prevent bacterial growth, increase flavor and reduce the risk of food poisoning.
Nitrite and related compounds such as nitrate (NO3) are also found in many other foods. For example, a large amount of nitrate is found in some vegetables and may even be beneficial to health .
However, not all nitrite (NaNO2) is the same. Nitrite in processed meat can become a harmful N-nitroso compound, the most widely studied type is .
Processed meat is the main source of nitrosamines in the diet . Other sources include drinking water, cigarette smoke and salted or pickled foods .
Nitrosamines are formed when processed meat products are heated at high temperatures (over 266 degrees F or 130 degrees C) as when frying bacon or grilled sausages .
Animal studies show that nitrosamines may play an important role in colon cancer formation .
This is evidenced by observational studies in humans. These studies show that nitrosamine may increase the risk of stomach cancer and colorectal cancer .
Crux: Processed meat such as fried, baked can contain high levels of nitrosamines. Studies suggest that these compounds may increase the risk of cancer in the stomach and intestines.
Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs)
It leads to the formation of many potentially harmful substances including health (PAHs) .
PAHs are a large group of substances formed when burning organic matter.
They are sucked into the air with smoke and accumulate on the surface of baked and roasted bacon and meat products directly on fire .
They can be formed from:
- Burn firewood or charcoal.
- Fat on the hot surface.
- Meat is burnt or burnt.
For this reason, bacon products may contain high levels of PAH carcinogen .
PAHs in processed meat products are thought to be harmful to health.
Many animal studies suggest that certain types of PAH can cause cancer .
Crux: Products from bacon may contain high levels of PAH carcinogen. This compound has been shown to cause cancer in animals.
Heterocycliv Amine (HCA)
(HCA) is a chemical compound formed when meat or fish is cooked at high temperatures such as baking or frying .
Not only in processed meats, they can also be found in sausages, fried bacon and burger burgers .
HCA causes cancer in animals when they consume large amounts of HCA. In general, this amount of HCA is much higher in human diets .
However, many observational studies in humans have shown that eating well-cooked meat may increase the risk of bowel, breast and prostate cancer .
HCA content can be reduced by applying simple cooking methods such as frying with small fire and steaming. Avoid eating burnt black meat into charcoal.
Crux : Some processed meat foods may contain heterocyclic amine (HCA), carcinogenic carcinogenic compounds also found in meat, well cooked fish.
Sodium chloride (NaCl)
Processed meat products often have high levels of sodium chloride, also known as table salt.
Salt has been used as a food preservative for thousands of years. However, its primary use is to taste.
Although processed meat is not the only salt-rich food, it can also contribute a significant part to the amount of salt people eat daily.
High salt intake can cause hypertension and heart problems, especially in people with salt-induced hypertension .
Moreover, some observational studies show that diets high in salt may increase the risk of stomach cancer .
This is evidenced by studies that show that diets high in salt can increase the growth of HP bacteria ( Helicobacter pylori) a bacterium that causes stomach ulcers, which in turn leads to stomach cancer .
Adding salt to foods to increase flavor is okay, but eating too much salt from industrially processed products can be harmful to health.
Crux : Industrial processed meat products contain a large amount of salt, which can cause many diseases.
Message for you
Processed meat contains many chemical compounds that are not found in raw meat. Many of these compounds are also harmful to health.
For this reason, eating a lot of industrially processed meat for a long time (many years, decades) may increase the risk of chronic diseases, especially cancer.
However, it is okay to eat occasionally. Just make sure these foods are not the main ingredient in your meal and avoid eating them every day.
Finally, you should reduce the amount of processed food you eat and eat more fresh food.
