An Ounce of Prevention is Worth a Pound of Cure

Labor Day has now passed marking the unofficial end of Summer.  To most this means the end of two summertime favorites Picnics and Ball Parks which goes hand in hand with hot dogs and Kielbasas.  The summer months between Memorial Day and Labor Day is “hot dog seasons,” where an average of 38 percent or $614 million total sales are in hot dogs.  Americans consume 20 billion hot dogs per year.

Americans take pleasure in eating “Processed Meats.”   According to a recent published study in the Journal of Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, Americans are eating as much processed meats as they did two decades ago.  I know I have always said all things in moderation; however, can we apply this principle when it comes to processed meats?

A “Processed” Meat is any meat, beef, pork, poultry, and lamb where a  transformation occurs from its natural state by curing, salting, smoking, fermentation and addition of chemical preservatives. Processed Meats include sausage, hot dog, luncheon meats, deli meat, ham, cured bacon, salted and cured meat, corned beef, smoked meat, dried meat (jerky/pepperoni), and canned meat.

The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC)  the research arm for the American Cancer Society has classified processed meats as a Group 1 carcinogen.  This means it will under no uncertain terms cause cancer. The agency shows eating 50 grams (less than 2 oz.) of processed meat every day increases the risk of colorectal cancer by 18%.   Also, processed meats increase the risk of both prostate and pancreatic cancers as well.

SIDEBAR: 50 grams is equal to 4 strips of bacon plus one hot dog or 2 oz. of ham or luncheon meat. The industry standard for processed meats on average deli sandwiches such as Subway, Jimmy John, Penn Station, Jersey Mike, to name a few is 2.2 ounces.

 A second study shows eating 25 grams (less than 1 oz.),  of processed meat each day increased breast cancer risk by 21 percent.  JAMA reports that processed meat consumption is associated with  57,766 death from the cardiometabolic disease.

One example of a carcinogenic additive in processed meats is Sodium Nitrite Salts, which forms two cancer-causing compounds in the meat-Nitrite and N-Nitroso. Sodium Nitrite is applied to maintain the red meat color, prevents rancidification, and strong enough to prevent the growth of bacteria (botulism toxins) on the meat.

The proof of the dangers of consuming processed meat is solid, unquestionable, staring us in the face, and yet Americans remain obsessed with the pleasures of eating processed meats.  There is No Safe Amount of Processed Meat one can consume; it is just that harmful to the human body. No, when it comes to processed meats, all things in moderation does not apply.  The choice is yours – choose wisely and remember: “An ounce of prevention is indeed worth a pound of cure.”