Eating One Sausage Raises Bowel Cancer Risk
Eating one sausage or three rashers of bacon a day, equivalent to 1.8oz (50g) of processed meat - raises the likelihood of the cancer by a fifth, according to an analysis by the World Cancer Research Fund (WCRF).
Processed meats include bacon, ham, pastrami, salami and hot dogs, all of which are preserved by smoking, salting and any other method apart from freezing. Sausages, hamburgers and mince fall into this category if they have been preserved with salt or chemical additives.
The processing procedure raises levels of cancer-causing chemicals called N-nitroso compounds.
Experts say that red meat need not be eaten every day and that 18oz (500g) a week in cooked weight (or 27oz/750g uncooked weight) is sufficient. That is the equivalent of three steaks, although the definition of red meat covers pork and lamb as well as beef.
Processed meat’s stronger links to bowel cancer have led to advice that it should be avoided altogether.
Source: Daily Mail, 31 March 2008
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