Question of the month -DOES PROCESSED MEATS CAUSE CANCER?

Every month THE CANCER PROJECT has a question of the month and I think this one is good for us as pepperoni seems to be the pizza topping of choice and now everything these days seems to be smoked! Can you imagine smoked chicken? That's what you call a double whammy..........it is simply delicious and a favourite of mine before my last bout with cancer. It's so delicious you know it can't be good for you.

QUESTION OF THE MONTH
I’ve heard that certain preservatives like sodium nitrites/nitrates found in processed meat can cause cancer. If that is true, what about the nitrites in vegetables?
ANSWER
Processed meats are preserved by smoking, curing, or salting, and by the addition of preservatives such as sodium nitrite to increase the shelf life. These additives also bring about the “pink” color seen in canned and luncheon meats. When processed meat digests, nitrites link up with other degraded proteins to form N-Nitrosamines, which are known carcinogens. Researchers know there is a link but they can not be certain that nitrites/nitrates are the cause.
Some vegetables are naturally high in nitrates, but fruits and vegetables are not linked to cancer, and it appears to be because of the high vitamin C and antioxidant content found in produce. Vitamin C can block the process of nitrates converting into nitrosamine compounds, at least those found in plants. Processed meat is a different story. Manufactures add ascorbic acid (vitamin C) to preserve meat, because like fruits and vegetables, the antioxidant helps neutralize the toxic effect of nitrosamines. However, studies on processed meat continue to show increased cancer risk. As expected, foods in their whole form are always best.

To learn more about processed meats visit CancerProject.org/Media/CNA.php