It has been found that men who eat two pieces of bacon or one sausage a day have 19% more chances to develop pancreatic cancer than those who do not eat such products. The percentage rose to 29% when respondents ate 120 grams of red meat.
Pancreatic cancer is among the fastest growing diseases and is diagnosed in more than 4000 people during 2015. Pancreatic cancer kills more than any other form of cancer because it cannot be detected while in its early stage. 74% of the patients die in the first year and only 7% of patients live more than five years.
Another study, published in the journal BMC Medicine in 2013, measured the rate of occurrence of this disease in groups of respondents who ate poultry, red meat and processed meat. Research has shown very strong links between the consumption of processed meat and cancer and cardiovascular disease.
But the results were not conclusive when it comes to unprocessed red meat and poultry. Experts have concluded that processed meat is associated with a high rate of mortality and 3.3% of deaths could be prevented if you eat less than 20 grams of processed meat every day.
In these studies there is one key factor, namely nitrates are added in meat as a preservative, and they also gives the red color of meat. Studies have shown that nitrates are associated with cancer, and it is an important factor given that bacon and other processed meat products cause cancer of the pancreas and other cancers.
With the growth in the number of cancer patients, science continues to look for the causes. The link between pancreatic cancer and processed red meat requires serious research. The risk of this type of cancer can simply be reduced only with carefully selected food we eat.
Even though much more research needs to be done in order to further confirm the link between pancreatic cancer and meat, we still have more than enough information.
Healthy diet represents a good basis for our overall health. Pay enough attention to what you eat and only occasionally enjoy processed meat, such as bacon.
