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Processed meats rank alongside smoking as cancer causes


duke007

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UN health body says bacon, sausages and ham among most carcinogenic substances along with cigarettes, alcohol, asbestos and arsenic

 

Bacon, ham and sausages rank alongside cigarettes as a major cause of cancer, theWorld Health Organisation has said, placing cured and processed meats in the same category as asbestos, alcohol, arsenic and tobacco.

 

The report from the WHO’s International Agency for Research on Cancer said there was enough evidence to rank processed meats as group 1 carcinogens because of a causal link with bowel cancer.

It places red meat in group 2A, as “probably carcinogenic to humans”. Eating red meat is also linked to pancreatic and prostate cancer, the IARC says

 

The IARC’s experts concluded that each 50-gram (1.8-ounce) portion of processed meat eaten daily increased the risk of colorectal cancer by 18%. 

“For an individual, the risk of developing colorectal cancer because of their consumption of processed meat remains small, but this risk increases with the amount of meat consumed,” said Dr Kurt Straif, head of the IARC monographs programme. “In view of the large number of people who consume processed meat, the global impact on cancer incidence is of public health importance.”

 

The decision from the IARC, after a year of deliberations by international scientists, will be welcomed by cancer researchers but it triggered an immediate and furious response from the industry, and the scientists it funds, who rejected any comparison between cigarettes and meat.

“What we do know is that avoiding red meat in the diet is not a protective strategy against cancer,” said Robert Pickard, a member of the Meat Advisory Panel and emeritus professor of neurobiology at Cardiff University. “The top priorities for cancer prevention remain smoking cessation, maintenance of normal body weight and avoidance of high alcohol intakes.”.

 

But the writing has been on the wall for ham, bacon and sausages for several years. The World Cancer Research Fund has long been advising people thatprocessed meat is a cancer hazard. It advises eating products such as ham, bacon and salami as little as possible and having no more than 500g a week of red meat, including beef, pork and lamb.

 

Prof Tim Key, Cancer Research UK’s epidemiologist at the University of Oxford, said: “Cancer Research UK supports IARC’s decision that there’s strong enough evidence to classify processed meat as a cause of cancer, and red meat as a probable cause of cancer.

 

 

“We’ve known for some time about the probable link between red and processed meat and bowel cancer, which is backed by substantial evidence.

“This decision doesn’t mean you need to stop eating any red and processed meat. But if you eat lots of it you may want to think about cutting down. You could try having fish for your dinner rather than sausages, or choosing to have a bean salad for lunch over a BLT.”

 

The statement from the IARC, published as an article in the journal Lancet Oncology, substantially toughens the line, especially against processed meat. But while cancer scientists are concerned about the risks of eating too much meat, some nutritionists maintain that the extra risk is relatively small and that meat has other benefits.

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OMG I would kill for a full English...when it comes to food the French are quite good at it but they have no idea what makes a good breakfast. Give me a good full English any day of the week if the smoking or drinking don't get me then at least let me have a decent breakfast before I meet my maker! :biggrin:

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you should be all right there Dave

 

They said that 3 rashers was fine... your Pictured breakfast is ok then( just dont eat another meal for a week  :biggrin:)

 

ya , make sure the ol Tea is decaff as well.... unleaded ...watch the old blood pressure eh! .. ha ha

 

What about an extra sausage TC? :rolleye0012: ....I do like my coffee more than tea.....and my blood pressure is fine as it happens, it was checked about 6 times after I spent 6 hours on Monday at the Quacks and A&E..... :biggrin:  

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Another study claimed that apple juice was carcinogenic.  What it failed to point out, but was later revealed, was that one would have had to imbibe dozens - if not hundreds - of gallons daily in order to get cancer.

Exactly! A 10 ounce lab rat is gorged with some seemingly innocent food or drink, then when the rat passes on to his great reward, the scientists say "Ah ha! apple juice (peanuts, popcorn, green beans) causes cancer.

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I've stopped consuming alcohol with my Full English breakfast already, but the asbestos and arsenic will have to wait until new year when I resolute. There is a thing as too much too soon.

 

Even drinking too much water can kill you, it's called water intoxication. Maybe I'll just suck teabags from now on.

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