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2010-05-18 04:29:36
By Julie Steenhuysen Julie Steenhuysen Mon May 17, 6:23 pm ET
CHICAGO (Reuters) Eating bacon, sausage, hot dogs and other processed meats
can raise the risk of heart disease and diabetes, U.S. researchers said on
Monday in a study that identifies the real bad boys of the meat counter.
Eating unprocessed beef, pork or lamb appeared not to raise risks of heart
attacks and diabetes, they said, suggesting that salt and chemical
preservatives may be the real cause of these two health problems associated
with eating meat.
The study, an analysis of other research called a meta-analysis, did not look
at high blood pressure or cancer, which are also linked with high meat
consumption.
"To lower risk of heart attacks and diabetes, people should consider which
types of meats they are eating," said Renata Micha of the Harvard School of
Public Health, whose study appears in the journal Circulation.
"Processed meats such as bacon, salami, sausages, hot dogs and processed deli
meats may be the most important to avoid," Micha said in a statement.
Based on her findings, she said people who eat one serving per week or less of
processed meats have less of a risk.
The American Meat Institute objected to the findings, saying it was only one
study and that it stands in contrast to other studies and the U.S. Dietary
Guidelines for Americans.
"At best, this hypothesis merits further study. It is certainly no reason for
dietary changes," James Hodges, president of the American Meat Institute, said
in a statement.
Most dietary guidelines recommend eating less meat. Individual studies looking
at relationships between eating meat and cardiovascular diseases and diabetes
have had mixed results.
But studies rarely look for differences in risk between processed and
unprocessed red meats, Micha said.
She and colleagues did a systematic review of nearly 1,600 studies from around
the world looking for evidence of a link between eating processed and
unprocessed red meat and the risk of heart disease and diabetes.
They defined processed meat as any meat preserved by smoking, curing or
salting, or with the addition of chemical preservatives. Meats in this category
included bacon, salami, sausages, hot dogs or processed deli or luncheon meats.
Unprocessed red meat included beef, lamb or pork but not poultry.
They found that on average, each 1.8 oz (50 grams) daily serving of processed
meat a day -- one to two slices of deli meats or one hot dog -- was associated
with a 42 percent higher risk of heart disease and a 19 percent higher risk of
developing diabetes.
They found no higher heart or diabetes risk in people who ate only unprocessed
red meats.
The team adjusted for a number of factors, including how much meat people ate.
They said lifestyle factors were similar between those who ate processed and
unprocessed meats.
"When we looked at average nutrients in unprocessed red and processed meats
eaten in the United States, we found that they contained similar average
amounts of saturated fat and cholesterol," Micha said.
"In contrast, processed meats contained, on average, four times more sodium and
50 percent more nitrate preservatives," Micha added.
Last month, the Institute of Medicine urged the U.S. Food and Drug
Administration to regulate the amount of salt added to foods to help Americans
cut their high sodium intake.
The FDA has not yet said whether it will regulate salt in foods, but it is
looking at the issue.
(Editing by Eric Walsh)