THE TRUTH ABOUT PROCESSED MEAT

A global study led by Hamilton scientists has found a link between eating processed meat (i.e. sausages and deli meats) and a higher risk of cardiovascular disease. The same study did not find the same link with unprocessed red meat or poultry. The information comes from the diets and health outcomes of 134,297 people from 21 countries spanning five continents, who were tracked by researchers for data on meat consumption and cardiovascular illnesses. After following the participants for almost a decade, the researchers found consumption of 150 grams or more of processed meat per week was associated with a 46 per cent higher risk of cardiovascular disease and a 51 per cent higher risk of death than those who ate no processed meat. The researchers also found moderate levels of consumption of non-processed meats had a neutral effect on health. “The totality of the available data indicates that consuming a modest amount of unprocessed meat as part of a healthy dietary pattern is unlikely to be harmful,” said Mahshid Dehghan, investigator for the Population Health Research Institute (PHRI) of McMaster University and Hamilton Health Sciences.