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Will eating bacon really give you cancer?

Brendan Rawlings
Nov 1, 2015
3 min read

It’s been plastered all over the news like a premiership footballer caught with his pants down but unfortunately with more serious repercussions.

The paper released by WHO (world health organisation) has put meat eaters on edge and if you’re anything like me it’s left you thinking what the hell can we actually eat that’s not bad for us?! Perhaps a delicious medley of dandelion leaves with olive oil and rabbits droppings. You may end up wetting the bed but at least it’s not cancer.

So what are they actually saying?

They have categorized processed red meat as a ‘Group 1 Carcinogen’ (causes cancer in humans) and red meat as a ‘Group 2a Carcinogen’ (probably causes cancer in humans)

This statement was the product of over eight hundred studies and mainly focuses on bowel and colon cancer. The studies mainly investigate how the DNA of the gut/colon/rectum can potentially change as a result of the breakdown of chemicals added to processed meats and naturally occuring chemicals produced in red meats; leading to cancer.

Before you fill your underpants be aware that there are lots of carcinogens that you already eat, drink and are exposed to. Alcohol, wood dust, salted fish, solar radiation and many more. The impact of these cancer inducing elements are determined by how much and how often you are exposed to them...did someone shout moderation?

Another point is that it’s only a short paper that has been released by WHO at the moment. The full body of evidence will come later in a more detailed report that no one will understand, and with no doubt the media will jump all over and turn into the next series of The Walking Dead - “Red meat and the Zombie apocalypse”. This isn’t really new information. It’s based on studies that have been conducted for the past 10-20 years. So this is more of a new framing of evidence than a presentation of new evidence.

Who are these people that are being studied?

Speculation by me but I’m willing to wager that this is not a study solely conducted on fit individuals that watch their diet and train five times a week. There have been plenty of studies that show the risk of various diseases decrease with exercise and a balanced diet. Are these individuals in the study also consuming alcohol? Lots of sugary food and drinks? Saturated and trans fats? Stressed out of their minds at work? More than likely yes, so surely that is a perfect storm with regard to the development of cancer?

If I eat red meat am I going to die?

There is evidence to suggest that the damage done to the gut on consumption of both processed and unprocessed red meats can be limited by eating green vegetables at the same time. It’s important to remember that just because something is shown to have carcinogenic effects, doesn't mean it will cause cancer. An increased risk can be large or small, and while the increase seen with processed meat is relevant because it's avoidable, the risks are still nowhere near something like smoking cigarettes. The fact is that it’s very difficult to come up with a definitive 100% foolproof study and correlation to cancer is very different to causation. Furthermore if you maintain a healthy gut by putting good things in your mouth 90% of the time then I wouldn't lose any sleep over it. If you drink lots of alcoholic & sugary drinks, don't eat veggies, eat a shed load of processed food, don't exercise and smoke, whilst working long hours then you probably won't be on our email list but if you are then it's time to give me a call.

Conclusion

In conclusion eat and drink these foods in moderation, too much of anything is bad for you, just look at Michael Douglas. Keep your gut health a priority by eating lots of green vegetables, eating fiber and keeping hydrated, in addition make sure you incorporate a variety of sources of lean protein in your diet.