Lethal Lunch: Processed Meat Tied to Early DeathThursday, 07 Mar 2013
Grilled hot dogs and sausages may be tasty treats at ball games
and picnics, but a new study of nearly 450,000 people finds that
eating too much processed meat might shave years off your life.
Those who ate the most processed meat increased their risk of
dying early by 44 percent. In broader terms, if people ate less
processed meat, the number of premature deaths overall would
drop by almost 3 percent, Swiss researchers reported.
"Our recommendation is to limit processed meat intake to less
than an ounce a day," said study author Sabine Rohrmann, head of
the division of cancer epidemiology and prevention at the
Institute of Social and Preventive Medicine at the University of
Zurich.
SPECIAL: These 4 Things Happen Right Before a Heart Attack — Read More.
The researchers could only show an association between eating
processed meat and an increased risk of dying early, and not a
cause-and-effect link. There are, however, some reasons to
believe the association may be real, the scientists said.
"We know of some potential mechanisms that probably all
contribute," Rohrmann said. "Meat is rich in cholesterol and
saturated fat, which may be the link with coronary heart
disease."
Processed meat is also treated with nitrates to improve
durability, color, and taste.
"However, it also causes the formation of carcinogens. These are linked to the risk of colorectal and stomach cancer," Rohrmann said.
In addition, high iron intake from meat may lead to an increased
risk for cancer, she said.
Another expert noted that previous research supports the link
between processed meat and health problems.
"A wide array of studies have linked meat intake to higher rates
of chronic disease," said Dr. David Katz, director of the Yale
University Prevention Research Center in New Haven, Conn.
Eating relatively more meat likely means eating fewer plant
foods, which protect against chronic disease, he said.
"The case for us eating mostly plants is strong," Katz said.
"But those inclined can eat meat without harming their health,
provided they choose wisely and steer clear of bologna."
For the study, which was published online March 6 in the journal
BMC Medicine, Rohrmann and an international team of
investigators collected data on nearly 450,000 men and women. At
the start of the study, none of the participants had had cancer,
a heart attack, or stroke. The researchers also collected data
on diet, smoking, exercise, and weight.
By the middle of 2009, more than 26,000 of those in the study
had died.
"Mortality is increased when we compare those participants who
eat more than 40 grams per day of processed meat to those who
have 10 to 20 grams per day," Rohrmann said.
The higher the consumption, the higher the risk. "For the
highest consumption group (those who consume at least 160 grams
of processed meat per day) mortality was 44 percent higher
compared with those who eat little meat (10 to 20 grams a day),"
she said.
"Since meat is also rich in certain minerals and vitamins, we do
not recommend not to eat meat anymore, but to reduce the intake
of processed meats and to limit the intake of red meat to about
300 to 600 grams per week as recommended by other nutrition
groups," Rohrmann said.
In addition, eating a lot of processed meat went along with
other unhealthy choices. Those who ate the most processed meat
ate the fewest fruits and vegetables and were more likely to
smoke. Also, men who ate a lot of meat tended to drink a lot,
the researchers found.
One expert pointed out that it might be hard to change bad
habits in the United States.
"A side of sausage, a BLT, or a ham sandwich are the daily norm
for many Americans," said Samantha Heller, a clinical
nutritionist at the NYU Center for Musculoskeletal Care, in New
York City. "Limiting consumption of processed meat to less than
an ounce a day, as the researchers of this study suggest, will
be a difficult recommendation to put in place unless we can
educate the public about the health concerns associated with
eating processed meats regularly."
SPECIAL: These 4 Things Happen Right Before a Heart Attack — Read More.
Health professionals, educators, and food companies need to make
efforts to change the culture of food in the United States so
that healthy, plant-based eating becomes the daily norm, Heller
said.
The American Meat Institute took issue with the findings.
"While we have significant concerns about the study's
methodology and results, if one chooses to accept the study's
conclusions Americans can rest assured that their processed meat
consumption is, on average, at the approximate level recommended
by these researchers and can feel confident that red meat
consumed as part of healthy balanced diet offers good nutrition
and no increased risk of mortality," American Meat Institute
Foundation Chief Scientist Betsy Booren said in a statement.
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