(Guide to a Healthy Lifestyle)

Stay Away From Processed Meat

"There is strong evidence that ... processed meats are causes of bowel cancer, and that there is no amount of processed meat that can be confidently shown not to increase risk ... Try to avoid processed meats such as bacon, ham, salami, corned beef and some sausages," (WCRF.)

"These insinuations [from the meat industry which accused WCRF's report as being erroneous and a tool of the "anti-meat" lobby] are nothing short of outrageous ... WCRF commissioned the report with money raised from the general public and therefore it was not influenced by any vested interests. "

"The fact is that our report is the most comprehensive and authoritative review of the evidence that has ever been published and it found convincing evidence that ... processed meat ... increase[s] risk of bowel cancer," (Professor Martin Wiseman, project director of the report.

The WCRF has determined that no amount of processed meat is safe. Processed meats are those preserved by smoking, curing or salting, or the addition of chemical preservatives. This includes bacon, ham, pastrami, salami, pepperoni, hot dogs, some sausages and hamburgers (if they have been preserved with salt or chemical additives) and more.

Other studies revealed that processed meats increase the risk of developing:

• Colon cancer by 50 percent
• Bladder cancer by 59 percent
• Stomach cancer by 38 percent
• Pancreatic cancer by 67 percent

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