Research suggests that processed meats that are preserved with sodium nitrite may cause cancer. The World Cancer Research Fund recommends the public to eat very little processed meat because there is strong evidence that it is a cause of bowel cancer.
Whether bacon, hot dogs, or sausages, processed meat is defined as an animal product that has been cured, salted, fermented, or smoked to enhance its flavor and prolong its shelf life. While all of the processed meat was once tarred with the cancer brush, the scientists from Queen's University Belfast stated that only those preserved with sodium nitrite carry a risk.
Preservatives in processed meat
Numerous chemicals either found in meat, added during processing, or produced when cooking can give processed meats a bad reputation. According to Cancer Research in the United Kingdom, sodium nitrite can be converted into cancer-causing chemicals called N-nitroso, and the compounds can be stuck in the body.
The preservative is added to the meat in order to prevent the growth of Clostridium botulinum and other food-spoiling bacteria. This was noted by the Belfast scientists who wrote their research in the journal Nutrients.
Other controversial preservatives include ham, which is a pigment in red meat that damages cells and causes bacteria to release harmful substances. There are also HCAs or Heterocyclic amines and PCAs or polycyclic amines that are produced when meat is cooked at a high temperature and can damage the cells in the bowel.
To know more about the dangers of processed meat, the Belfast scientists looked at 61 studies investigating the link between popular foods and cancer. The results of the investigation came back muddled, with around half showing processed meat that may trigger malignant tumors. When the scientists only looked at sodium nitrite, this rose to just under two-thirds or around 65%.
Sodium nitrite can cause colon cancer
The study author, Dr. William Crowe, said that when they looked at nitrate-containing processed meat in isolation, which is the first time this has been done in a comprehensive study, the results were much clearer. Almost two-thirds of studies found a link with cancer. The reports show that the removal of nitrite from processed meat does not compromise its safety.
Irish and British sausages are not traditionally preserved with nitrites, unlike their European counterparts like pepperoni, chorizo, and frankfurters. Ham and bacon are also increasingly available without the controversial preservative, the scientists claim.
Based on the result of their study, the team wants to see the cancer risk of different forms of processed meats defined differently, according to whether they have nitrites. The lead author, Dr. Brian Green, said that their findings clearly show that not all processed meats carry the same level of risk.
There is more research that needs to be done before they can definitely prove causality regarding processed meat and cancer, and there are so many variables when it comes to the diets of people. But based on their study, which they believe provides the most thorough review of the evidence on nitrites to date, they can confidently say that there is a strong link that exists between nitrate-containing processed meant, like frankfurter and colorectal cancer.
