(Editor’s Note: If you are going to continue to eat bacon, at least eat one that is organic and eat it as a treat)

The study, published in the Jan. 12 issue of the British Journal of Cancer, found that for every piece of sausage or two strips of bacon a person eats every day, there’s a 19 percent rise in their risk for developing pancreatic cancer. After reading that, does bacon really sound that good?

We already know that being overweight or obese increases our risk of pancreatic cancer and Dr Rachel Thompson, deputy head of science at The World Cancer Research Fund, believes that the findings of this study may be an early indication into another factor behind the disease. With poor survival rates for Pancreatic cancer, a change in diet could reduce the number of cases of the disease by preventing them from even developing in the first place.

Researchers reviewed 11 studies and case reports on more than 6,000 pancreatic cancer patients, and looked for a link between eating red and processed meats and cancer. During the study, the team found that the raised risk was tied to every 50 grams of processed meat consumed in a day. That means, if you eat 150 grams of processed meat a day -which is like three sausages or six strips of bacon – your pancreatic cancer risk shoots up 57 percent. Yikes. That’s intense. However, when compared with red meat (which has been linked to stomach and esophageal cancers) the evidence was inconclusive. Men who ate 120 grams of red meat per day saw their pancreatic cancer risk increase 29 percent, compared with men who don’t eat red meat.

Experts warn that while the numbers sound scary, the risk is relatively small when you factor in the fact that overall pancreatic cancer rates in the general population are low.

From the CBS News article:

“According to the National Cancer Institute, 13.6 per 100,000 U.S. men develop pancreatic cancer, compared with 10.7 pancreatic cases per 100,000 women. The researchers also said smoking is a bigger risk factor, which increases pancreatic cancer risk by 74 percent.”

Processed meats, like sausage, pepperoni, bacon, ham, smoked turkey, and hot dogs, usually contain nitrates and nitrites (although there are more and more brands starting to forgo the unnecessary ingredient- if you eat anything besides fruits and veggies- READ THE LABEL), and they have been linked to cancer. Last year, published in the journal Cancer, a study of 300,000 men and women, found that among those who ate large amounts of processed meats, there was a 30 percent increased risk for bladder cancer. It should come as no surprise to you that the president of the American Meat Institute, James H. Hodges, was unimpressed by the study. He believes that eating red and processed meats is part of a healthy, balanced diet. Sure.

So maybe like I said, treat these types of foods as “special”. Don’t eat them everyday and certainly don’t stop in the drive thru for a breakfast sandwich as it surely will not be organic AND will be loaded with other additives, chemicals to preserve it, and sodium. Make your own best decisions- armed with the best and most recent information possible. My body doesn’t like meat but that’s me. Find your own sweet spot and do your best. Take care Health Nuts.

Source: CBS News