A report published on Monday by the World Health Organization (via BBC) revealed that processed meat can cause cancer. The said food is reprotedly "carcinogenic to humans" along with alcohol, asbestos, arsenic and cigarettes.
According to the report, eating 50 grams of processed meat daily, which is equivalent to one sausage or two slices of bacon, can cause bowel cancer, with an increased risk of 18 percent. The report added that eating 100 grams of fresh red meat a day increases the risk of cancer by 17 percent. Red meat, as classified by WHO's International Agency for Research on Cancer, includes beef, lamb and pork.
Dr. Kurf Straif of the International Agency for Research on Cancer in France said, "For an individual, the risk of developing colorectal (bowel) cancer because of their consumption of processed meat remains small, but this risk increases with the amount of meat consumed."
Aside from bowel cancer, scientists also observed links between processed meat with pancreatic and prostate cancer. The study is a result of a meeting of scientists from ten countries including the U.K., who had analyzed all available evidences. The same team, accordingly, said that the evidence to support their claims is limited.
In its report, Telegraph highlighted that the World Cancer Research Fund has long warned about the association of consuming a lot of red meat and bowel cancer, saying that there is "strong evidence" to prove it.
WCRF recommended that one should only consuming not more than 70 grams of processed meat weekly. They added that children should not eat processed meat at all.
"The results of this new evaluation are in line with our own findings from our comprehensive analysis of global scientific evidence, which shows eating red or processed meat increases the risk of bowel cancer," Dr. Rachel Thompson of WCRF said in a statement.
"Red meat can contribute to a healthy, balanced diet, as it is a good source of nutrients such as protein, iron, zinc and vitamin B12. Processed meat on the other hand has less valuable nutrients and can be high in fat and salt," she added.
