WHO says my bacon is not good for me :-(

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Replies

  • Sued0nim
    Sued0nim Posts: 17,456 Member
    edited October 2015
    Whilst the WHO press release does not link back to the actual epidemiological study (which I would like to see if anyone can link it, I got caught in a black hole of Press releases from the IARC). I did pick up the recommendation to consume less than 50g daily at which there is no increased risk for this very specific 1% uplift

    @CurlyCockney your 2 rashers is probably within that limit :)
  • feisty_bucket
    feisty_bucket Posts: 1,047 Member
    OK article:
    http://authoritynutrition.com/are-nitrates-and-nitrites-harmful/

    Nitrites + lotsa heat when cooking = nitrosamines, which are probably bad news to be eating. Fortunately, you can nullify this process with antioxidants (vitamin C, etc.). So there you go.
  • Gianfranco_R
    Gianfranco_R Posts: 1,297 Member
    rabbitjb wrote: »

    I believe that the original study that found the 18% increase of mortality risk per 50g per day of processed meat is this one:
    http://www.biomedcentral.com/1741-7015/11/63
    (a big European prospective study)
  • hekla90
    hekla90 Posts: 595 Member
    Keep in mind that WHO is largely a political organization.

    Their chief concern is politics not health.

    I didn't realise that, thanks! I'll look into their motivation a bit more - when I've finished eating this ;-)


    I'd like to point out they made no specific guidelines or recommendations based off this. It was a meta analysis of over 800 studies, not exactly new information. People sure are up in arms about it though.
  • hekla90
    hekla90 Posts: 595 Member
    ndj1979 wrote: »
    i eat two strips a day and blood work comes back perfect every year.

    sounds more food fear mongering by the folks over at WHO, just like they do with sugar.

    Also, a lot of things are related to colon cancer, and I would be curious to read the entire study, and that article does not link to it.

    eat your bacon and be happy. If you were eating a package a day then you might have something to worry about.


    /sigh the who did not do a study. They analyzed around 800 studies. This isn't based off one study. I think a lot of people just read the title without actually reading what the WHO released. Blood work does not generally test for cancer, only one I know off hand is prostate, admittedly not an oncology nurses. Most is detected through other means.
  • psuLemon
    psuLemon Posts: 38,431 MFP Moderator
    Following to read the studies. But I am pretty sure genetics has more to do with cancer than bacon.
  • hekla90
    hekla90 Posts: 595 Member
    psulemon wrote: »
    Following to read the studies. But I am pretty sure genetics has more to do with cancer than bacon.


    See above comments, it's a meta analysis of 800 studies.
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  • psuLemon
    psuLemon Posts: 38,431 MFP Moderator
    hekla90 wrote: »
    psulemon wrote: »
    Following to read the studies. But I am pretty sure genetics has more to do with cancer than bacon.


    See above comments, it's a meta analysis of 800 studies.

    Thanks. I did see all of the comments. i was more tagging remind myself to read it later.
  • ndj1979
    ndj1979 Posts: 29,136 Member
    hekla90 wrote: »
    ndj1979 wrote: »
    i eat two strips a day and blood work comes back perfect every year.

    sounds more food fear mongering by the folks over at WHO, just like they do with sugar.

    Also, a lot of things are related to colon cancer, and I would be curious to read the entire study, and that article does not link to it.

    eat your bacon and be happy. If you were eating a package a day then you might have something to worry about.


    /sigh the who did not do a study. They analyzed around 800 studies. This isn't based off one study. I think a lot of people just read the title without actually reading what the WHO released. Blood work does not generally test for cancer, only one I know off hand is prostate, admittedly not an oncology nurses. Most is detected through other means.

    i never said blood work tested for cancer….my point is that bacon can be part of a healthy overall diet…

    A lot of factors lead to cancer and singling out one is utterly ridiculous. I would like to review the studies to see what was actually studied, without that the information in the article is useless.
  • ndj1979
    ndj1979 Posts: 29,136 Member
    ndj1979 wrote: »
    ndj1979 wrote: »
    ndj1979 wrote: »
    i eat two strips a day and blood work comes back perfect every year.

    sounds more food fear mongering by the folks over at WHO, just like they do with sugar.

    Also, a lot of things are related to colon cancer, and I would be curious to read the entire study, and that article does not link to it.

    eat your bacon and be happy. If you were eating a package a day then you might have something to worry about.

    Your blood work tests for cancer every year?

    nope, I am just pointing out that bacon can be a part of a health diet.

    and I have follow up tests every year for cancer due to the fact that I am a cancer survivor, and those come back clean too.

    That's more clear. Your N=1 OP suggested your blood tests tested cancer (colon cancer etc.)

    I never said that, you just implied it.

    I inferred it, from what you implied with your post.

    so you know of a blood test that tests for colon cancer then?

    Funny that you inferred something from something that is not even medically possible...
  • ndj1979
    ndj1979 Posts: 29,136 Member
    I personally believe processed and smoked foods arent healthy. But colonoscopy well show you quite literally if there is anything to be concerned about there. Plus you get to show people the pictures to prove that your head really isnt up there. Win win!

    so if your get adequate nutrition and hit macros and eat processed foods you are are not healthy???
  • hekla90
    hekla90 Posts: 595 Member
    ndj1979 wrote: »
    hekla90 wrote: »
    ndj1979 wrote: »
    i eat two strips a day and blood work comes back perfect every year.

    sounds more food fear mongering by the folks over at WHO, just like they do with sugar.

    Also, a lot of things are related to colon cancer, and I would be curious to read the entire study, and that article does not link to it.

    eat your bacon and be happy. If you were eating a package a day then you might have something to worry about.


    /sigh the who did not do a study. They analyzed around 800 studies. This isn't based off one study. I think a lot of people just read the title without actually reading what the WHO released. Blood work does not generally test for cancer, only one I know off hand is prostate, admittedly not an oncology nurses. Most is detected through other means.

    i never said blood work tested for cancer….my point is that bacon can be part of a healthy overall diet…

    A lot of factors lead to cancer and singling out one is utterly ridiculous. I would like to review the studies to see what was actually studied, without that the information in the article is useless.


    I am sure all 800 are referenced in the meta analysis.
  • pollyanna863
    pollyanna863 Posts: 2 Member
    rabbitjb wrote: »
    Whilst the WHO press release does not link back to the actual epidemiological study (which I would like to see if anyone can link it, I got caught in a black hole of Press releases from the IARC). I did pick up the recommendation to consume less than 50g daily at which there is no increased risk for this very specific 1% uplift

    @CurlyCockney your 2 rashers is probably within that limit :)

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  • ndj1979
    ndj1979 Posts: 29,136 Member
    R
    ndj1979 wrote: »
    I personally believe processed and smoked foods arent healthy. But colonoscopy well show you quite literally if there is anything to be concerned about there. Plus you get to show people the pictures to prove that your head really isnt up there. Win win!

    so if your get adequate nutrition and hit macros and eat processed foods you are are not healthy???

    Looking for a fight this morning eh big boy.... Hisses and spits at him. I didnt say that. I said it was my personal opinion therefore.. as any good cat would do. I ignore you!

    questioning your reasoning does to equal looking for a fight.

    so you are just going to post some drive by comments about processed foods not being healthy and not back it up???

  • pollyanna863
    pollyanna863 Posts: 2 Member
    I heard on breakfast TV yesterday with Dr Hilary that the same percentage of Vegans also get Colo-rectal Cancer as meat eaters
  • Unknown
    edited October 2015
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  • ndj1979
    ndj1979 Posts: 29,136 Member
    ndj1979 wrote: »
    R
    ndj1979 wrote: »
    I personally believe processed and smoked foods arent healthy. But colonoscopy well show you quite literally if there is anything to be concerned about there. Plus you get to show people the pictures to prove that your head really isnt up there. Win win!

    so if your get adequate nutrition and hit macros and eat processed foods you are are not healthy???

    Looking for a fight this morning eh big boy.... Hisses and spits at him. I didnt say that. I said it was my personal opinion therefore.. as any good cat would do. I ignore you!

    questioning your reasoning does to equal looking for a fight.

    so you are just going to post some drive by comments about processed foods not being healthy and not back it up???

    I am as entitled to my opinion as you are. I dont have to validate or prove my opinions to you. So rage on someone else.

    so you have no reasoning and it is based on "dem feels" …understood.
  • Unknown
    edited October 2015
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  • suzan06
    suzan06 Posts: 218 Member
    My mom is a colon cancer survivor.

    The great thing about colon cancer is it is easily detectable and pretty treatable (as long as you are ok living with no colon for the rest of your life ;) ). I am a vegetarian so I have no hat in the bacon ring, but my general opinion from what I know about colon, which sadly is a lot, is that if you are making unhealthy colon choices, you better be prepared to poop your brains out for 24 hours and then have them rotoroot you the minute you turn 50, and then regularly after that.

    Best read about colonscopies: Dave Barry.

    My family has a lot of colon humor. We ask for group discounts on our rotorootings. Anesthesia never feels better than at a colonoscopy, trust me.
  • LKArgh
    LKArgh Posts: 5,178 Member
    ndj1979 wrote: »
    hekla90 wrote: »
    ndj1979 wrote: »
    i eat two strips a day and blood work comes back perfect every year.

    sounds more food fear mongering by the folks over at WHO, just like they do with sugar.

    Also, a lot of things are related to colon cancer, and I would be curious to read the entire study, and that article does not link to it.

    eat your bacon and be happy. If you were eating a package a day then you might have something to worry about.


    /sigh the who did not do a study. They analyzed around 800 studies. This isn't based off one study. I think a lot of people just read the title without actually reading what the WHO released. Blood work does not generally test for cancer, only one I know off hand is prostate, admittedly not an oncology nurses. Most is detected through other means.

    i never said blood work tested for cancer….my point is that bacon can be part of a healthy overall diet…

    A lot of factors lead to cancer and singling out one is utterly ridiculous. I would like to review the studies to see what was actually studied, without that the information in the article is useless.

    I was not aware that there was a report saying that eating processed meat is the one and only factor contributing to cancer. Are you sure you are referring to the same report?


  • LKArgh
    LKArgh Posts: 5,178 Member
    ndj1979 wrote: »
    I personally believe processed and smoked foods arent healthy. But colonoscopy well show you quite literally if there is anything to be concerned about there. Plus you get to show people the pictures to prove that your head really isnt up there. Win win!

    so if your get adequate nutrition and hit macros and eat processed foods you are are not healthy???

    You can have adequate nutrition, hit your macros, never eat processed food and smoke.
    Smoking still puts you at increased risk for cancer.
    You can be a non-smoker, with "perfect" nutrition, be regularly exposed to direct sunlight without protection, and you are again at increased risk for cancer, regardless of your other habits.
    WHO did not report that processed meat affects your macros. It reported it increases your risk for cancer.
    You can chose to ignore the reports, same as many people prefer to ignore warnings about smoking or about sunbathing. It comes down to priorities and the risks one is willing to take. It does not discredit the reports.
  • Need2Exerc1se
    Need2Exerc1se Posts: 13,575 Member
    Keep in mind that WHO is largely a political organization.

    Their chief concern is politics not health.

    I didn't realise that, thanks! I'll look into their motivation a bit more - when I've finished eating this ;-)

    I would imagine every nutrition and public health group in the world will tell you that processed meat has an association with cancer. There is ample evidence of an increased risk. The risk still isn't overly high, but it is increased if eat processed meat every day.
  • senecarr
    senecarr Posts: 5,377 Member
    aggelikik wrote: »
    ndj1979 wrote: »
    I personally believe processed and smoked foods arent healthy. But colonoscopy well show you quite literally if there is anything to be concerned about there. Plus you get to show people the pictures to prove that your head really isnt up there. Win win!

    so if your get adequate nutrition and hit macros and eat processed foods you are are not healthy???

    You can have adequate nutrition, hit your macros, never eat processed food and smoke.
    Smoking still puts you at increased risk for cancer.
    You can be a non-smoker, with "perfect" nutrition, be regularly exposed to direct sunlight without protection, and you are again at increased risk for cancer, regardless of your other habits.
    WHO did not report that processed meat affects your macros. It reported it increases your risk for cancer.
    You can chose to ignore the reports, same as many people prefer to ignore warnings about smoking or about sunbathing. It comes down to priorities and the risks one is willing to take. It does not discredit the reports.

    Depends on what "increased risk of cancer" is considered increased in relation to - the general population or with not doing the thing. Yes being exposed to direct sunlight without precautions is an increased risk compared purely to not doing it. It doesn't mean that the overall chances for a person is above the normal rate for the population.
  • Need2Exerc1se
    Need2Exerc1se Posts: 13,575 Member
    ndj1979 wrote: »
    I personally believe processed and smoked foods arent healthy. But colonoscopy well show you quite literally if there is anything to be concerned about there. Plus you get to show people the pictures to prove that your head really isnt up there. Win win!

    so if your get adequate nutrition and hit macros and eat processed foods you are are not healthy???

    What a silly question. Health has to do with more than what you eat. If you eat processed meat you have an increased risk of disease. If you have disease, you are not healthy. So it seems reasonable to say that processed meats are not healthy, as they do not promote health.
  • madhatter2013
    madhatter2013 Posts: 1,547 Member
    I'll continue to eat dead cow and pig thank you
  • senecarr
    senecarr Posts: 5,377 Member
    ndj1979 wrote: »
    I personally believe processed and smoked foods arent healthy. But colonoscopy well show you quite literally if there is anything to be concerned about there. Plus you get to show people the pictures to prove that your head really isnt up there. Win win!

    so if your get adequate nutrition and hit macros and eat processed foods you are are not healthy???

    What a silly question. Health has to do with more than what you eat. If you eat processed meat you have an increased risk of disease. If you have disease, you are not healthy. So it seems reasonable to say that processed meats are not healthy, as they do not promote health.
    Was kind of a bit of his point. Simply judging a person is not healthy by the singular fact that they eat processed meat is excessive simplification.
    And blanket saying processed meat is not healthy because of an increased risk of one disease is an oversimplification. Last I looked, there is a whole slew of diseases processed meat can help prevent.
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