Latest news with #processedmeat
Yahoo
9 hours ago
- Health
- Yahoo
Even a single slice of sausage a day can increase the risk of chronic diseases.
Bad news for sausage fans: According to a new study, even small amounts of processed meat can increase the risk of chronic diseases. A ham sandwich here, a snack salami there–what sounds harmless can lead to diabetes, coronary heart disease, or colon cancer. FITBOOK nutrition expert presents the study results to you. Processed meat products have long been suspected of promoting chronic diseases. However, the strength of the connection–and whether even small amounts are harmful–remained unclear until now. A research team led by Demewoz Haile from the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME) at the University of Washington aimed to find out exactly that. The goal was to systematically quantify the impact of common food groups on the development of chronic diseases. Given that chronic diseases like diabetes, coronary heart disease (CHD), and colon cancer cause a significant disease burden worldwide, precise insights into diet-related risk factors are of great importance for public health.1 How the Researchers Proceeded The study was conducted as a so-called 'Burden of Proof' analysis–an advanced method based on systematic reviews (meta-analyses) and statistical modeling. The unique aspect: With this special method, the researchers were able to calculate dose-response relationships–that is, how much the risk increases with different consumption levels. They deliberately calculated conservatively to avoid overestimating effects. They used only existing data from large observational studies. What is the 'Burden of Proof' Method?The 'Burden of Proof' studies are a series of particularly elaborate meta-analyses developed by the IHME. They compile data from numerous observational studies and assess how strong and reliable the connection is between a risk factor (e.g., processed meat) and a disease (e.g., type 2 diabetes). The result is presented with a star system–from weak (one star) to strong evidence (five stars). The aim is to reduce scientific uncertainties and enable reliable statements for dietary recommendations. For the present study, data from a variety of prospective cohort studies and case-control studies were included, such as: 15 studies with over 1.1 million participants on the link between processed meat and type 2 diabetes 11 studies with over 1.17 million participants on processed meat and CHD 18 studies with over 2.67 million participants on processed meat and colon cancer Also interesting: The less meat in the diet, the lower … Even One Sausage a Day Is Too Much The analysis showed that even the smallest daily amounts of processed meat are associated with a measurable increase in disease risk–in all areas studied. The risk of developing type 2 diabetes increased by an average of 11 percent with a daily intake of 0.6 to 57 grams. Assuming a person eats 50 grams per day (equivalent to two to three slices of cold cuts or a Vienna sausage), the risk increased by a whopping 30 percent. The results for colon cancer were similarly unfavorable. Here, a daily intake of 0.78 to 55 grams resulted in an average risk increase of seven percent. Those who eat 50 grams of processed meat daily have a 26 percent higher risk of colon cancer. For CHD, a daily 50-gram portion led to a 15 percent increase in risk. The study authors noted: The risk increased continuously with the amount–but particularly strongly at low, everyday amounts. Sugary Drinks and Trans Fats Also Showed a Negative Effect The authors also considered two other common food groups that showed a negative effect on the development of chronic diseases: sugary drinks and trans fats. The analysis included 19 studies on sugar-sweetened beverages and diabetes (563,444 participants), eight studies on CHD (961,176 participants), and 6 studies with 226,509 people on trans fats and CHD. The result: Consuming sugar-sweetened beverages (e.g., soft drinks) increased the risk of diabetes by 20 percent and CHD by seven percent when 250 grams were consumed daily. If trans fats (e.g., in croissants, fries, ready meals) made up one percent of daily energy intake, the risk of chronic diseases increased by 11 percent. Significance of the Results Even the smallest amounts of sausage, soft drinks, and trans fats can increase the risk of three of the most common chronic diseases worldwide. Particularly critical: The steepest increase in risk occurred at low daily intake levels–areas that many people regularly consume. For everyday life, this means: Even those who 'moderately' indulge in processed meat or soft drinks may potentially expose themselves to an increased risk of disease. This result is also reflected in the 2024 updated recommendations of the German Nutrition Society. Instead of 600 grams, only 300 grams of meat and sausage can be consumed per week–if one wants to eat these foods at all. The DGE emphasizes: 'Even with a consumption of no or less than 300 grams of meat per week, the nutritional goals can be achieved.'2 For research, the study underscores the need to precisely capture dose-response relationships–not least to be able to provide realistic and effective dietary recommendations. Context and Possible Limitations The study uses an advanced methodology with systematic literature search and precise dose-response modeling. The 'Burden of Proof' method is among the most demanding approaches in nutritional epidemiology today. Also noteworthy is the transparency of the work: The data, methods, and codes are publicly accessible, and conflicts of interest have been disclosed and excluded. The work was peer-reviewed and published in 'Nature Medicine,' a renowned journal. However, there are limitations: The results are based on observational studies–studies that cannot prove cause-and-effect relationships but only show associations. These were each internally rated with only two stars, 'indicating weak associations or conflicting evidence and underscoring both the need for further research and–given the high burden of these chronic diseases–the advisability of continuing to limit the consumption of these foods,' the study authors conclude. Less Is More Small amounts of processed meat seem harmless, but they are not. The current study shows that small amounts of sausage and the like are enough to significantly increase the risk of chronic diseases such as diabetes, CHD, and colon cancer. Particularly insidious: The greatest risk increase occurs with small, everyday portions. So, if you want to do something good for your health in the long term, you might want to opt for the plant-based alternative at your next snack. Less is clearly more in this case–and sometimes even life-extending. The post Even a single slice of sausage a day can increase the risk of chronic diseases. appeared first on FITBOOK.
Medical News Today
10-07-2025
- Health
- Medical News Today
Just 1 hotdog per day could harm your health, study finds
New research has found that eating even small amounts of processed meat may raise the risk of serious diseases, including cancer, type 2 diabetes, and heart study also links sugar-sweetened drinks and trans fats to higher health risks, reinforcing calls to reduce their explained that while the findings show strong and consistent associations, the focus should be on balanced, realistic eating habits rather than strict a new burden of proof study published in Nature Medicine, researchers analyzed data from over 60 previous studies investigating how processed meats, sugary beverages, and trans fatty acids in the diet relate to the risk of developing a range of completing their analysis, the researchers concluded that regularly consuming even small amounts of processed meat, sugary drinks, and trans fatty acids is linked to a higher risk of developing type 2 diabetes, ischemic heart disease, and colorectal data showed that people who ate just one hot dog per day had an 11% greater risk of type 2 diabetes and a 7% higher risk of colorectal cancer compared to those who did not eat processed addition, drinking about a 12-ounce soda daily was linked to an 8% increased risk of type 2 diabetes and a 2% higher risk of ischemic heart study supports previous findings that suggest that eating red meat and sugar may contribute to colorectal cancer among young small amounts of processed meat raise health risksBased on the findings, experts continue to recommend that it is best to avoid or minimise the regular consumption of processed meat, sugar-sweetened beverages, and industrially produced trans fats in order to improve health risk was found to rise with higher levels of intake, and for processed meats, the data indicated there is no safe level of author Demewoz Haile, PhD, a research scientist at the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation in Seattle, explained the key findings to Medical News told us that:'Habitual consumption of even small amounts of processed meat, sugary drinks, and trans fatty acids is associated with an increased risk of developing type 2 diabetes, ischemic heart disease, and colorectal cancer. Processed meats include items such as bacon, sausage, and ham, which typically involve preservatives like salting, curing, or smoking. In our conservative analysis, a daily intake of up to 57 grams—roughly the size of one hot dog—was associated with at least an 11% increased risk of type 2 diabetes and a 7% increased risk of colorectal cancer compared to no consumption.''Similarly, consuming sugary drinks, such as sodas, was linked to adverse health outcomes,' he kept emphasizing that his and his colleagues' study provided a 'conservative analysis' of the health risks associated with processed meat so, he said, the 'analysis showed that commonly observed levels of sugary drink consumption, a daily intake of up to 390 grams (equivalent to 12 ounces), were associated with at least an 8% increased risk of type 2 diabetes and a 2% increased risk of ischemic heart disease.''Industrially produced trans fatty acids were also shown to increase health risks. In this analysis, we focused on trans fats commonly found in processed foods and baked goods such as doughnuts, cookies, pastries, fried foods, and chips.'Demewoz Haile, PhDRegular consumption of these foods, even in small amounts, was associated with at least a 3% increased risk of ischemic heart servings may still raise disease riskIndividuals who habitually consume these foods should be aware of the increased risk of developing chronic diseases linked to their intake, even in moderate is important to note, however, that the studies included in the analysis were observational, meaning they can only show an association between diet and disease risk rather than directly prove cause and addition, the findings relied on participants' self-reported eating habits, which can introduce inaccuracies due to memory errors or with advanced analytical methods, the researchers highlighted that diet data remains limited, which is a common challenge in nutritional nutrition experts, not involved in the study, also spoke to MNT about its Bishoff, RDN, LD, a registered dietitian at Rutsu Nutrition, said that 'one of the most notable takeaways was the relative risk between developing type 2 diabetes and colorectal cancer with such small serving sizes of processed meat, indicating that no real amount of processed meat is considered safe.''The equivalent of one hot dog (50 g) per day showed an increased risk of developing type 2 diabetes by 30%, and a 26% increased risk of colorectal cancer. A 50 g [gram] serving is roughly 1.8 oz [ounces] of meat, which many Americans consume much more on a daily basis,' Bishoff Moody, RD, CSSD, LD, registered dietitian at Top Nutrition Coaching, agreed, telling MNT that she 'would strongly caution against patients and the public taking away that the risk of chronic disease is small when consuming these foods.''It's been well-established by prominent entities such as the American Heart Association and WHO [World Health Organization] that trans fats, processed meats, and refined sugars increase risk of chronic disease across the board,' Moody added.'This isn't just because they lead to chronic inflammation, but these foods typically offer little nutrition in terms of micronutrients and antioxidants. Thus, filling one's diet with them displaces foods that promote a longer life and better health, such as whole grains, fruits and vegetables, and unsaturated fatty acids. I urge the public to focus on these foods while only occasionally indulging in the aforementioned products that can cause harm in excess and provide very little benefits to human health.'– Destini Moody, RD, CSSD, LDHealthy swaps may be easier than strict eliminationSpeaking of ways in which people can make their diets healthier, Bishoff said 'there are always healthier options that taste great, so don't be afraid to try new products and recipes.'She advised that:'Instead of eliminating foods from your diet, the best approach is to find healthy swaps. For example, many ultra-processed peanut butters and tortillas contain partially hydrogenated oils, which are considered a type of trans fat. Trans fats have been shown to increase the risk of heart disease.'Bishoff recommended switch to a natural peanut butter or whole-food based tortillas, for instance, that do not contain hydrogenated oils. Or, 'if you enjoy soda, there are many healthier soda alternatives that contain less than 3–5 g of added sugar and still provide a refreshing and crisp taste without sacrificing your health,' she explained.'[Instead] grilling hot dogs and other processed meats this summer, make vegetable kabobs with a lean or plant-based protein, like tofu,' Bishoff also noted that 'while dietary choices are personal and often influenced by individual and environmental factors, the implications of our findings suggest that people should aim to minimize their consumption of these foods as much as practicable.''Our findings align with widely recognized recommendations, including those made by the WHO and CDC [Centers for Disease Control and Prevention]: Avoid or reduce the consumption of processed meats, sugary drinks, and artificial trans fats to the lowest possible level,' the researcher emphasized.
Yahoo
04-07-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Massive Review Finds No 'Safe' Level of Processed Meat Consumption
We know that processed meat isn't particularly good for us, having already been linked to dementia, diabetes, and cancer, but how much of it counts as a 'safe' level of consumption? According to new research, there's no such thing. US researchers reviewed over 70 previous studies (involving several million participants in total), analyzing the relationships between ultra-processed food and three health issues: type 2 diabetes, ischemic heart disease, and colorectal cancer. Associations for processed meat, sugar-sweetened beverages, and trans fatty acids were looked into, and it was the processed meat that came out with the worst results – even if the amount eaten is only small. "The monotonic increases in health risk with increased consumption of processed meat suggest that there is not a 'safe' amount of processed meat consumption with respect to diabetes or colorectal cancer risk," the team from the University of Washington in Seattle writes in their published paper. Related: It's important to put the research into context. The associations found are relatively weak, they don't prove direct cause and effect, and the analyzed studies relied on self-reported dietary habits (which may not be completely accurate). However, the study has several strengths too – it uses a Burden of Proof method, which is more conservative when assessing impacts on health. The results tend to be minimum values, which means they likely underestimate the true health risk. What's particularly notable here is that minimal increases in consumption still raised risk levels. "Habitual consumption of even small amounts of processed meat, sugary drinks, and trans fatty acids is linked to increased risk of developing type 2 diabetes, ischemic heart disease and colorectal cancer," University of Washington nutrition biologist Demewoz Haile told CNN. For example, the equivalent of one hot dog a day was associated with at least an 11 percent greater risk of type 2 diabetes, and at least a 7 percent greater risk of colorectal cancer, compared to eating no processed meat at all. For beverages, an extra can of sugar-sweetened pop a day was linked to a 8 greater risk of type 2 diabetes, and a 2 percent greater risk of ischemic heart disease, compared to not drinking anything sugary. For trans fatty acids, a small daily amount was associated with a 3 percent increase in risk of ischemic heart disease, compared with zero consumption. "This information provides critical data for public health specialists and policymakers responsible for dietary guidelines and potential initiatives that aim to reduce the consumption of these processed foods," write the researchers. While the study has limitations, its scale and conservative methodology make it worth taking note of. This is backed up by a commentary in the same journal, which does note the role of ultra-processed foods in improving food accessibility and shelf life, particularly in areas with limited access to fresh food. The message from the research team is that cutting out ultra-processed foods as much as possible is the best option for our health. The research has been published in Nature Medicine. Ozempic-Like Drugs Could Treat Chronic Migraines, Trial Finds Gut Bacteria Found to Soak Up Toxic Forever Chemicals Gene Therapy Can Restore Hearing in Adults, First-of-Its-Kind Trial Shows
Daily Mail
04-07-2025
- Health
- Daily Mail
Just one bite of food consumed by 75m Americans daily linked to cancer
Experts are sounding the alarm over a common food that - in any quantity - may increase the risk of chronic diseases. Processed meat items such as sausages, bacon, ham, salami, pepperoni, and jerky have long been staple American foods. However, scientists are now warning that no amount of processed meats of any kind is safe to consume. Researchers from across the US have found that people who eat processed meat, even as little as one hot dog a day, have an 11 percent greater risk of developing Type 2 diabetes. Additionally, they found that those who eat processed meat have a seven percent increased risk of colorectal cancer, as well as a two percent higher risk of ischemic heart disease. In the US, the processed meat market is a substantial industry with revenue projected to reach $43.49 billion in 2025, and the CDC reports over 75 million adults eat processed fast foods every day. Previous research has shown that consuming excessive amounts of sodium, nitrates and chemical preservatives found in these products can harm cell DNA and create cancerous tumors in the heart, as well as the colon. These substances can also damage pancreatic cells - contributing to Type 2 diabetes. Researchers analyzed over 60 other studies to find out whether processed meats, sugar-sweetened beverages, and trans fatty acids can increase the risk of Type 2 diabetes, colorectal cancer, and ischemic heart disease (IHD), a condition in which the heart muscles do not receive enough blood and oxygen due to narrowed or blocked arteries. Over time, this can lead to a heart attack or a stroke. Once they collected data from other studies, the scientists evaluated it using the burden-of-proof method - a newer type of meta-analysis that looks at both how strong and how many links are between diet and disease. Results showed that people who ate 50g of processed meat daily - the equivalent of two slices of ham - had a 30 percent higher risk of developing Type 2 diabetes compared to those who did not eat any processed meat. Furthermore, they also found that those who ate 50g of processed meat daily had a 26 percent higher risk of developing colorectal cancer. No such link was found between eating 50g of meat and IHD. Additionally, the researchers also found that drinking a 12oz sugar-filled soda every day was associated with an eight percent increase in Type 2 diabetes risk and a two percent increased risk of IHD. Dr Mingyang Song, associate professor of clinical epidemiology and nutrition at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health who was not involved in the study commented: 'When we look at the actual data there, it's really remarkably consistent and remarkably strong, and even in the lower dose of consumption, we can still see an increased risk of disease.' Since this study - published in Nature Medicine - was observational, it only found associations between eating habits and diseases rather than a direct link between what people ate that caused the disease. However, previous research has shown that processed meats, preserved by smoking, curing, salting, or the addition of chemical preservatives, can contain harmful compounds, such as carcinogens (cancer-causing substances). These carcinogens can harm cell DNA and pave the way for the development of cancerous tumors in the colon. Furthermore, previous research shows that chemicals like nitrosamines, formed from preservatives in processed meats, may harm pancreatic cells, leading to lower insulin levels. When these cells are damaged, they may not produce enough insulin - forcing the body to become less responsive to the insulin that is produced, a condition known as insulin resistance. This could lead to high blood sugar levels and Type 2 diabetes. Additionally, processed meat is often high in saturated fat, which has previously been linked to increased inflammation in the heart. It is also filled with sodium and nitrates - both of which can increase bad cholesterol, increase blood pressure and potentially lead to tumors in the heart, as well as the colon. Dr Song recommends cutting back on eating processed meats, sugary drinks and avoiding hydrogenated fats where possible. Dr Nita Forouhi, head of nutritional epidemiology at the University of Cambridge who was not involved in the study, added: 'A good diet is not just about what to avoid. It's also important to get good nutrients. 'Wider research has shown us that overall dietary patterns that include higher consumption of fruit and vegetables, whole grains, legumes, nuts and fermented dairy products like yogurt are good for health and longevity.' Over 50,000 Americans are expected to die from colorectal cancer this year, while 150,000 are predicted to be diagnosed with the disease. While still a minority, experts remain concerned about increasing cases among younger people as officials estimate 2,600 new cases among those under 50. Studies also suggest that cases in people between 20 to 24 have risen by 185 percent as of 2024. Additionally, over 37 million American adults suffer from Type 2 diabetes. The CDC reports that over 100,000 Americans die of the condition every year. Ischemic heart disease also affects over 16 million Americans, of whom over 300,000 die of the condition.
RNZ News
04-07-2025
- Climate
- RNZ News
Midday Report Essentials for Friday 4 July 2025
food health 7 minutes ago In today's episode, Nominations have officially opened today for local elections, and with it, the Far North mayor has started a campaign for his district to keep the Maori wards, Fresh rain has been falling today in Taranaki after a torrential downpour struck last night, a new study has found there is "no safe amount" of processed meat to eat, Two female tourists in their 60s - one who was a New Zealander - have been killed while walking on a safari in Zambia.
