Sunday, October 3, 2010

Harsh words for processed meats

The world cancer research fund just completed a study that provides evidence that the consumption of processed meats can and will cause cancer. The usual culprits are foods such as bacon, hot dogs, beef jerky, sausage, meats in frozen prepared meals and in canned soups and ofcourse all deli meats. The issue is sodium nitrite. It's a coloring that gives the meats their reddish "fresh" color. Otherwise you'd be eating grey hot dogs and who wants to eat grey hot dogs?

The world cancer research fund has a scathing review for these foods saying they increase the risk of pancreatic and colorectal cancers. They go on to say that humans should stop eating these meats immediately and for the rest of our lives. We all know that processed meats weren't healthy but now they are considered not for human consumption.

This is scary to hear but may have some merit. Sodium nitrite is a carcinogen and like monosodium glutamate is still allowed by the USDA and FDA. Why is this happening? Well, we all know that the companies producing this garbage have deep pockets thanks to the Americans that are addicted to processed foods. Their lobby is strong in Washington and they can essentially control what they put in their products, even if it causes cancer.

This study is huge and it's message is bold. It's going to scare a lot of people and company executives alike. I am curious to see if sodium nitrite will go away or will there be a marketing campaign similar to the one from HFCS that tries to dupe the public with self funded research studies claiming the substance is safe.

We need to be our own health advocates. Buyer beware. Check your ingredients and put it back on the shelf if it contains sodium nitrite. My kids love hot dogs, so I buy Applegate Farms hotdogs with only organic ingredients. I feel better knowing that the only nitrates in these hotdogs are naturally occurring from sea salt.

My bacon comes from the farm but there are plenty of organic brands out there to choose from if you must eat bacon or sausage. I would stop consuming all deli meats and frozen meals with red meat in it until the sodium nitrite is removed from the ingredients.

Don't be scared, be informed and gain power over your diet and your life. Check out the article here. http://www.totalhealthbreakthroughs.com/2007/12/processed-meats-declared-too-dangerous-for-human-consumption/

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