Healing Lifestyles & Spas

In or Out? Processed meats are out.

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By on Nutrition

By Wendy Bazilian, DrPH, RD
meats

Do you ever feel like nutrition science flip-flops? One day ‘in’, the next day ‘out’? Well this
one’s a flop. Period.

Science has been dancing around the topic for the past two decades. Public health experts and health reporters have increasingly questioned the safety of processed meats. Some of us have even encouraged you to steer clear altogether or at absolute minimum, severely limit the consumption of foods with sodium nitrite preservatives all along. While the jury was still out, we have always had the option to choose otherwise.

Now after a review of thousands of studies on the overall relationship of diet to cancer, among those specific to meat and cancer risk, one conclusion was clear: we should limit red meat and avoid preserved meats, commonly those that contain sodium nitrite. The report, a collaboration of the World Cancer Research Fund and the American Institute of Cancer Research, concluded that red meat and processed meat are causes (a word that is not often used by scientists!) of bowel cancer and even went so far as to say “there is no amount of processed meat that can be confidently shown not to increase risk” (emphasis added).

Scary, right? Well it certainly could be, but this is great news to know. The choice is
clear… and we do have a choice.

What to do?

Please when possible… which should be most of the time (ok, I’ll say it: all the time) avoid:

  • Deli meats preserved by smoking, salt curing or with chemical preservatives like added
    sodium nitrite.
  • According to the review by the WCRF/AICR, limit red meat (beef, pork, lamb and goat)
    and deli meat to less than 18 ounces (cooked weight) or 25 ounces raw weight meat
    weekly. Most restaurants serve 8-16 ounces as their standard portion. Tip: 3 ounces
    looks like a deck of cards.

How to know:

  • Look at the labels of packaged meats.
  • At the deli counter, ask. If the person working doesn’t know, ask to speak to someone
    who does!
  • Sodium nitrite is most common in red meat products, not chicken or fish.
  • Ask for fresh roasted turkey or meats that have been cooked fresh and on-site.

The most common foods to watch out for:

  • Packaged deli red meats (sandwich meats) like bologna, pastrami, salami, roast beef, or
    ham.
  • Sliced packaged ham, sausage and bacon
  • Hot dogs
  • Beef jerky
  • Frozen meals (including frozen pizza) with meat
  • Canned foods that include meats
  • Deli sandwiches at restaurants, schools, hotels, hospitals and theme parks

The good news is that if it has a label, you can look for it to be listed. But if you’re unsure, when possible choose otherwise for your good health!,/p>

Resource: World Cancer Research Fund / American Institute for Cancer Research, 2011. http://www.dietandcancerreport.org.

Wendy Bazilian (www.wendybazilian.com) is a doctor of public health, registered dietitian and freelance writer in San Diego. She is also the Nutrition Advisor at the renowned Golden Door and Co-owner of Bazilian’s Health Clinic with her husband and business partner, Dr. Jason Bazilian. Dr. Wendy is author of The SuperFoodsRx Diet (Rodale).

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Wendy Bazilian, DrPH, MA, RD
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