Processed Meat vs. Unprocessed Meat
Did you know, if you eat hot dogs, sausages, or deli meat, your risk of heart attack jumps by 42%?
But here’s what most people don’t know: If you eat unprocessed meat, your risk doesn’t go up at all.
In a recent report published by Circulation, Harvard scientists looked at 1,600 studies involving over 1.2 million people around the world. Here’s what they concluded:
“The consumption of processed meats, rather than red meats, was associated with increased incidence of coronary heart disease.”
For you vegetarians, this means you can start eating any meat from beef, lamb, or pork (the study didn’t include poultry).
The real culprit is processed meat – things like bacon, sausage, hot dogs and lunch meat – that you’ve got to watch out for. Processed meats contain chemicals, preservatives, and additives in addition to being smoked, cured, or salted.
When you eat processed meat with additives, you get four times the sodium and twice as many nitrates. Salt drives up your blood pressure. Nitrates cause plaque to build up in your arteries.
Smoked or cured meat like sausage and bologna also contains high levels of benzo (A) pyrene. This is the cancer-causing chemical in cigarette smoke.
So, try making yourself an organic hamburger, pork chop, or juicy steak without fear.
Make sure you look for organic and grass-fed beef. Nitrates are barred from use in the processing of organic meat. The sodium content is also lower. And you avoid hormones and antibiotics.
Groceries like Whole Foods or Trader Joes who are dedicated to natural healthy products also carry organic, grass-fed bacon, sausage, and lunch meat processed without nitrates or other chemicals.
Some stores will even cook and slice organic chicken and grass-fed beef so you can make your own sandwich slices. Or slice your own at home.
Look for products that say nitrate-free or preservative-free.
Resources
“Red and Processed Meat Consumption and Risk of Incident Coronary Heart Disease, Stroke, and Diabetes Mellitus.” A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
Renata Micha RD, PhD*, Sarah K. Wallace BA, and Dariush Mozaffarian MD, DrPH
Micha, Sarah K. Wallace, Dariush Mozaffarian, Circulation, online May 17, 2010.
Paikabc, DC., Wendel, TD., Freeman, HP. “Cured meat consumption and hypertension: an analysis from NHANES III (1988-94).” 2005; 25(12):1049-1060.
Rhee, KS., Bratzler, LJ., “Benzo(A)Pyrene in Smoked Meat Products.”Journal of Food Science. 2006 Aug; 35(2):146-149.
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