I came across and interesting article today about the dangers of processed meat. I am, of course, usually discouraging processed foods as much as possible – but I know the need for convenience!
And I know I’ve gone over concerns of certain meat issues in the past:
- The Ugly Truth Behind Ground Beef
- Antibiotics, Growth Hormones, and Grilling
- Mechanically Separated Meat and Hot dogs
- Cancer Risks
Again, while I personally choose to refrain from eating meat (“mawing the cow”) I know there are plenty of people who enjoy their meat, and healthier versions are out there! This is more a cautionary reminder to say GO FOR FREE RANGE, GRASS FED, ORGANIC, HUMANELY TREATED products if you do like the omnivorous diet, and skip the highly processed stuff!
And please stop treating hot dogs like the greatest snacking gift for toddlers. They don’t need them daily.
So, you can see the full article here. These are some of the health pointers from it:
-The above sign has been posted as a billboard add by the non-profit organization, the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine.
-Every year, about 143,000 Americans are diagnosed with colorectal cancer and more than 50,000 die of the disease. About half of all cases are already incurable when found.
-But one of the causes they found turned out to be too hot for the government to handle: It’s the ordinary hot dog. At least 58 scientific studies have looked at the issue, and the jury has rendered its verdict, which is now beyond reasonable doubt. The more hot dogs people eat, the higher their risk of colorectal cancer.
-And it’s not just hot dogs. Any sort of processed meat — bacon, sausage, ham, Spam, Corned Beef, deli slices — is in this group. And here are the numbers: Every 50 grams of processed meat you eat on a daily basis (that’s about one hot dog) increases your risk of colorectal cancer by 21 percent.
-Just as there is no safe level of smoking, no amount of hot dogs, bacon, sausage, ham or other processed meats comes out clean in scientific studies.
-Other studies have linked these same products to leukemia and ovarian cancer.
And now, some of the political games at play. Follow the green, my friends…
-But here’s where politics come in: Even though much of this research was paid for by the U.S. government, the government also subsidizes meat. It supports feed grains to fatten cows and pigs, buys up meats for the school lunch program and helps the meat industry in countless other ways. So I think that the last thing the government wants to do is to publicize the cancer risk of one of its favorite products.
– Meat industry lobbyists have made sure that your government won’t breathe a word.
Keep using your money to vote for the best! If your tax dollars have to go to subsidize something, I’d rather it went to subsidize, say, responsible bio-dynamic farming and grass fed meats instead of factory-farmed animals and corn (wonder why junk food is so cheap?! We have more corn, and thus HFCS, being grown than we can eat!! So prices don’t NEED to be high because tax payer dollars have already paid for the corn) THOSE would be lowered prices, making healthy options more affordable to all.
*ahem* Sorry, I’ll hop off my soap box now. Have a great week everyone!