An international study has shown that too many hot dogs, sausages and ready-made meat dishes significantly increase the risk of premature death.
A research project involving half a million people in Europe has shown that people who eat large amounts of processed meat are more likely to die sooner – most often from heart disease and cancer. Processed meat appears to carry a greater risk than regular red meat. Scientists today claim that reducing the consumption of meat products could save thousands of lives.
‘The risk of premature death from cardiovascular disease and cancer increases with the amount of processed meat consumed,’ says Professor Sabine Rohrmann of the University of Zurich, who led the project. – We estimate that 3 percent could be avoided annually. premature deaths if people consumed less than 20 grams of processed meat per day.
But she added that eating a small amount of red meat protects against premature death, as it is a valuable source of protein, iron and other nutrients. Red meat consumption has long been linked to bowel cancer, and current recommendations advise you not to eat more than 70 g of meat per day (which is roughly one medium chop).
So far, however, researchers have found it difficult to isolate the risk of eating red meat because vegetarians tend to smoke and drink less at the same time and are more health conscious. To get around this problem, researchers recruited 448 people from ten European countries and asked them about meat consumption. Ham, bacon, sausages, sausages and ready meals are classified as processed products.
The fates of the respondents were followed on average for 13 consecutive years. During this time, 23 people died, and for every additional 400 grams of processed meat in the diet, the risk of premature death was 50 percent higher. After adjusting for social class, physical activity, alcohol consumption, smoking and other risk factors, the researchers found that eating more than 18 grams of processed meat a day increased the overall risk of premature death by as much as 160%, while eating the same amount of plain meat a day. red meat increases them only by 44 percent. Consumption of such amounts of processed meat translates to 14% higher. risk of heart disease and 72 percent. higher risk of cancer. In the case of pure red meat, the most common risk was cancer, while poultry apparently had no negative effects on health.
Researchers believe processed foods can be so dangerous because they contain harmful fats and cholesterol. In addition, smoking, salting and other food preservation techniques can aggravate the risk.
Our analysis suggests that men and women who consume a lot of processed meat are at risk of premature death from cardiovascular disease, but also cancer, researchers write in BMC Medicine. – Health promotion campaigns should contain clear advice on reducing your consumption of processed meat.
This study suggests that processed meats such as sausages and burgers may carry a risk of premature death, says Tracy Parker, a nutritionist at the British Heart Foundation. However, the people in the study who ate the most processed meat were also more likely to make other unhealthy choices.
Red meat can still be eaten with confidence as part of a balanced diet. Choose leaner cuts and cook them in a healthier way, such as grilling, to help keep your heart healthy. If you eat a lot of processed meat, try to diversify your diet with other proteins, such as poultry, fish, beans, and lentils.
Read also: MOM – Three Facts You Need to Know