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Dr. Mercola
April 17 2008
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Eating Just One Sausage a Day Raises Your Cancer Risk By 20 Percent

sausage, processed meatsJust one sausage a day can significantly raise your risk of bowel cancer, one of the deadliest forms of the disease, according to an analysis by the World Cancer Research Fund (WCRF). Eating 1.8 ounces of processed meat daily -- about one sausage or three pieces of bacon -- raises the likelihood of the cancer by a fifth.

Processed meats may also trigger cancer in the prostate, lung, stomach and esophagus.

Processed meats include bacon, ham, pastrami, salami and hot dogs. Sausages and hamburgers can also fall into the category if they have been preserved with salt or chemical additives.

The analysis also found that red meat raises the risk of bowel cancer, but to a lesser extent. Processing raises levels of cancer-causing chemicals called N-nitroso compounds, making bacon, sausages and other processed meats more deadly.

WCRF recommends people avoid eating all processed meats, although they say that at least eating smaller quantities would be beneficial.

According to estimates, if everyone cut down on red and processed meat, one in 10 cases of bowel cancer could be prevented.

Dr. Mercola Dr. Mercola's Comments:
If you are currently hooked on processed meats, and are looking for a way to stop eating them, take a look at these up-close-and-personal photos of processed meats, such as salami and sausage. I’ll bet you won’t want another bite after seeing them.

This new analysis just puts more logs on the fire when it comes to the many burning reasons to give up processed meats in your diet. These meats, which include sausages, bacon, pepperoni, salami and other lunchmeats, hot dogs, and more, can:
What’s Wrong With Processed Meats?

If you have been reading this newsletter for awhile then you will likely understand that I am in no way opposed to eating meat. In fact, I’m a fan of it. But, the more processing you do to your food the less likely it is that the food will nourish you -- and the more likely it is that it will actually contribute to your premature death.

This is even more of a problem when you add preservatives to "extend" the shelf-life of a food. Particularly problematic are the nitrates that are added to these meats as a preservative, coloring and flavoring.

The nitrates found in processed meats are frequently converted into nitrosamines, which are clearly associated with an increased risk of certain cancers. Many processed meats also contain other additives like MSG and high-fructose corn syrup, which are two items that don’t belong in your body in any amount.

There is also something very unpleasant that goes into some processed meats called “mechanically separated meats” (MSM). If you see this on a label, put it back on the shelf.

MSM is actually "a paste-like and batter-like meat product produced by forcing bones, with attached edible meat, under high pressure through a sieve or similar device to separate the bone from the edible meat tissue," according to the U.S. Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS).

MSM is supposedly safe to eat, but back in 2004 all mechanically separated beef was taken out of hot dogs and other processed meats because of concerns that it could cause mad cow disease. Mechanically separated pork, chicken, and turkey is still allowed, so buyer beware.

How to Choose Healthy Meat Options

I have to agree with the World Cancer Research Fund on their advice to avoid all processed meats. There are simply so many other higher quality, nutritious meats out there. But, if you are going to eat an occasional sausage or piece of bacon, here is what to look for and what to avoid:
  • Choose organic meats that are grass-fed or free-range
  • Look for “uncured” varieties that contain NO nitrates
  • Choose varieties that say 100% beef, 100% chicken, etc. This is the only way to know that the meat is from a single species and does not include byproducts (like chicken skin or chicken fat)
  • Avoid any meat that contains MSG, high-fructose corn syrup, preservatives, artificial flavor or artificial color
  • Ideally, purchase sausages and other processed meats from a small, local farmer who you can ask about the ingredients
Again, these are still not ideal as they are still processed, but they are better than the vast majority of processed meats on the market.

What is your healthiest option for eating meat? Well, first find out your nutritional type so you know whether your body does better eating red meats like beef, white-meat chicken, dark-meat chicken or a combination.

Next, choose grass-fed, organic meats that, ideally, come from a local farmer you can trust. Next, cook the meat minimally, at a low temperature (to avoid the toxic heterocyclic amines that form when you cook meat at high temperatures). Personally, I eat most of my meat raw, as the moment you cook most food you lose an important element of its vitality. But, I only consume raw meat from the highest quality sources where there is virtually no risk of infection

Many may cringe at this process but may not realize that steak tartar served in many high-end restaurants is raw ground beef.

However, if raw meat is something you don't want to try, there is less of a problem with heterocyclic amines if you briefly sear your meat on the outside and leave the remainder of the meat lightly cooked or nearly rare. This will improve the flavor and greatly decrease your risk of cooking byproducts.
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Community Comments ( 45 )
 		Comment on this Article
  
  
Islander
 [ Joined on 03/07 ] [ Posted on April 4, 2008 ]
19 Points        
   
 
Moderator User
I find processed meats - so-called "lunch meats" - revolting. They all seem to be shredded, chipped or ground and then reassembled with a ration of fats and chemicals. Did people get into the habit of eating this crapola because it was convenient?

My freezer is full of grass-fed beef, grass-fed pork and free-range local chicken as well as liver and kidneys. I cure my own bacon with nothing but salt and brown sugar, and smoke it with applewood from my backyard. I season my own ground pork for sausage. From the meat in my freezer I make soups of all kinds and stir-frys that I take to work for lunch. If I ate bread, I could make chicken or sausage sandwiches. Not everyone can access organic meats as cheaply as I can...but it is certainly possible to create wholesome meals from whole, unprocessed foods.
 [ Reply ]
Mercola
  
springolife
 [ Joined on 02/08 ]  [ Posted on April 17, 2008]
1 Points        
   
Novice User
  Mercola

but that article says no meat cured with salt either, so essentially what you're doing is supposed to give you cancer too.  

If you eat, drink or breathe you'll die.

I buy Hormel's all natural meats.  We don't eat a lot of sandwitches because we are on a GF diet and Whole Foods makes the only sandwich bread that is tolerable.   However I do keep the meat just in case.  Applegate Farms and others do have supposedly healthy alternatives to the typical processed meats.  

I haven't made my own sausage yet but it's something I've seriously been considering.  
Mercola
  
TCarmichall
 [ Joined on 07/07 ]  [ Posted on April 17, 2008]
1 Points        
   
Novice User
  Mercola

Yes, Applegate Farms makes good sandwich meat. It can be found organic or not. My issue with it is it isn't exclusively grass fed. But for my hubby, who likes it in his lunch that I pack him everyday, it is the best I can buy him for now. I am pregnant with a toddler at home w/ me, it is difficult to make everything from scratch. Although I try! I do make the turkey sausage patties from "Nourishing Traditions" by Sally Fallon. They are amazing. I like to use Sheltons ground turkey, it isn't dry like some other brands. I use the drippings to make gravy to go on them as well as eggs and hash browns. My hubby thinks he's died and gone to heaven. No more lowfat diet around here!

It is all a different way of thinking about food. We budget for our expensive raw grass fed milk, and meats. Unfortunately that means no fancy cuts around here. I buy ground meats beacause they are cheaper. I've just become creative. We rarely eat chicken, because it is hard to find good chicken! I do buy from one farm, but they are quite pricey. We make it work though. Good, fresh produce isn't too difficult to find. I belong to a co-op, use my little health food store and shop at our Farmer's Market. The FM offers great produce at great prices. They claim to not use pesticides and are truly local. I'm also fortunate to live in SoCal where you can get a variety of produce all year long!

Read labels, take responsibility for your health and above all trust in the Lord!
Mercola
  
Islander
 [ Joined on 03/07 ]  [ Posted on April 17, 2008]
3 Points        
   
Moderator User
  Mercola

Sspringolife, salt is a natural preservative. We humans have been using it to cure ham, bacon, beef, mutton and other meats for hundreds of years. At the turn of the century,cancer rates were one in a thousand. Today they are one in three.

I don't think the salt is to blame.
Mercola
  
triciarr
 [ Joined on 03/07 ]  [ Posted on April 18, 2008]
       
   
Savvy User
  Mercola

May I come for dinner some time Islander?  My mouth is watering!  I am a strong protein type and love eating meat!  Your natural, good quality meats sound delectable!

Tricia
Mercola
  
Magnolia
 [ Joined on 06/06 ]  [ Posted on April 20, 2008]
       
   
Savvy User
  Mercola

Islander you are exactly right. My uncles used to cure all their meats with salt and brown sugar or molasses and smoke them in the smokehouse. I cannot find anyone anywhere that sells ham/bacon cured this old fashioned way. My aunts made the best fresh pork sausage on the planet. The stuff they sell in stores now is nasty.

We ate fresh organic veggies (not certified, just grown using cow manure and no pesticides or manufactured fertilizer). I think we were given a healthy, wonderful diet and no candy or soft drinks. Water, raw milk, or lemonade. There was an apple orchard so we had fresh apples, apple pie, apple butter, apple sauce...you name it.

  
  
EQ
 [ Joined on 03/07 ] [ Posted on April 2, 2008 ]
17 Points        
   
 
Savvy User
To associate the cancer with the meat consumption is just bad science.  Sausage has many ingredients other than meat, and some brands make a safe and organic product.  The additives, such as sodium nitrite, are the most likely culprit.  If one is a protein type and takes this article literally and cuts down on animal protein, they will likely get cancer or some other serious illness.
 [ Reply ]
Mercola
  
Pelinor
 [ Joined on 11/06 ]  [ Posted on April 19, 2008]
-1 Points        
   
Novice User
  Mercola

Truthgirl,

Campbell's take on "The China Study" is a vegetarian con trick see :-www.westonaprice.org/bookreviews/chinastudy.html  for a better review.
  
  
seg
 [ Joined on 11/06 ] [ Posted on April 3, 2008 ]
9 Points        
   
 
Savvy User
Process anything is not good for you period...And when they add all the other "goodies" like SODIUM NITRITE ,HFCS,MSG,TRANSFATS etc to improve the flavour and increase the shelf life, what they are really doing is simply adding gasoline to the fire......

Just stay away from conventional crap,which is anything processed, or pre-packaged, instead opt for whole, unadulterated, nutrituous foods, if you want bacon get your local trustworthy butcher to sell you some peameal instead.......
 [ Reply ]
Mercola
  
Katee Roux
 [ Joined on 07/07 ]  [ Posted on April 3, 2008]
1 Points        
   
Savvy User
  Mercola
I'm eating mostly vegetarian now, but what's peameal?
Mercola
  
seg
 [ Joined on 11/06 ]  [ Posted on April 4, 2008]
2 Points        
   
Savvy User
  Mercola
Just a Canadian term for lean back bacon rolled in cornmeal...
 
As a side note be very careful with being vegetarian, make sure you eat eggs and clean fish very frequently if you don't care for meat that much.....
Mercola
  
DizzyIzzy1
 [ Joined on 06/07 ]  [ Posted on April 18, 2008]
2 Points        
   
Savvy User
  Mercola

Seg, what about if you're allergic to eggs? I'm nearly vegetarian, I eat meat maybe once ever 2 or 3 weeks when I feel like I need it, and rely on nuts, seeds, and cheese for my protein. I'm allergic to eggs, and intolerant of dairy so the cheese isn't such a good idea either... bah, what's a girl to do? :P
  
  
HealingMindN
 [ Joined on 05/07 ] [ Posted on April 17, 2008 ]
5 Points        
   
 
Apprentice User

I still remember attending this (HMO) diabetic class with my mother where the nurse was telling everyone to fill their craving for carbs with amicable substitutes like processed lunch meats and other prepared protein snacks.    They mentioned nothing of the toxic pitfalls of preservatives in processed meat.  How am I supposed to counter the advice from these so-called "health" professionals?

 [ Reply ]
Mercola
  
sobber
 [ Joined on 10/07 ]  [ Posted on April 17, 2008]
5 Points        
   
This user is BELOW novice level and all their comments need to be reviewed with great caution.
  Mercola

just treat them (doctors etc)as kids listen to them  but dont take them seriously

Mercola
  
Islander
 [ Joined on 03/07 ]  [ Posted on April 17, 2008]
6 Points        
   
Moderator User
  Mercola

Healing Mind, just disregard them and go with what you know. I had the same experience. Diabetic educator nurses are indoctrinated with the FDA line, and they are not open to opposing views.

Our 5 p.m. classes included a meal: lunch meat, white bread, mayo with HFCS, salad vegetables, fruit and diet soda. I had to ask for water. Later - choosing my battles - I asked about the diet soda for a group of diabetics. I got the company line: the FDA approved aspartame, and stevia is the only sweetener that is dangerous. Next class I brought in selected printouts including one from this site. No one wanted to hear it. Quackery and snake oil. ** sigh **

Better just let them dig  their own graves. They think we are all nut cases anyway.
  
  
JeremyAmanda
 [ Joined on 04/08 ] [ Posted on April 17, 2008 ]
4 Points        
   
 
Novice User