U.S. researchers yesterday said in a study that eating bacon, sausage, hot dogs and other processed meats can raise the risk of heart disease and diabetes.
The researchers said that consumption of unprocessed beef, pork or lamb did not raise risks of heart attacks and diabetes. The researchers suggested that salt and chemical preservatives are heart disease and diabetes. “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. Micha’s 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. She added that people who eat one serving per week or less of processed meats are less prone to heart ailment.
Meanwhile, the American Meat Institute has expressed its objection against the finding saying 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.
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