Animal meat: Eating unprocessed red meat in moderation does not increase your risk of cancer. Processed meat poses a significantly higher risk. The key lies in two factors: how the meat is prepared and how often it is consumed.
First: processed meat
Processed meat is not just any type of meat. It is processed, dried, or smoked to extend its shelf life or improve its flavor. Examples include cold cuts, sausages, bacon, hot dogs, and beef jerky.
Large-scale epidemiological studies have demonstrated a clear link between high consumption of processed meat and an increased risk of cancer, particularly breast, colon, and lung cancer. Consuming 50 grams of processed meat per day increases the risk of cancer by 18%. Fifty grams is equivalent to two slices of bacon or a sandwich eaten daily for lunch.
This type of meat often contains preservatives, such as nitrates. Although these additives extend shelf life and improve color and taste, they can also produce a substance in the body that damages the DNA of cells, thereby promoting the development of cancer.
Even if products bear the label “nitrate-free,” most still contain naturally occurring nitrates or other preservatives that pose similar risks. These “nitrate-free” processed meat products behave in the same way in the body.
Therefore, it is recommended to eliminate processed meat from your daily diet. Make sure you do not keep it in the house as a standard practice. If you occasionally crave bacon, for example during brunch at a restaurant, feel free to do so without guilt, but consider it an exception, not a habit.
Second course: Alcohol
Alcohol is classified as a Group 1 carcinogen, in the same category as tobacco. It increases the risk of seven different types of cancer, including breast, colon, esophageal, liver, mouth, and throat cancer.
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Scientific data show that one glass of alcohol per day increases the risk of cancer by approximately 9%. Three glasses per week, or one glass every other day, increases this risk by approximately 4%. This applies even to one glass of red wine.
The popular notion that red wine is healthier than other types of alcohol is incorrect. All alcohol is harmful to the body. The antioxidants found in alcohol, such as those in red wine, can easily be obtained from foods such as berries and grapes.
When we analyze data from large populations – hundreds of thousands of people – and look for links between their habits and the development of cancer, it turns out that there are indeed connections between consumption behavior and cancer.
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