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Scientists demand cancer warnings on bacon and ham sold in UK (www.theguardian.com)
submitted 1 year ago by to c/world@lemmy.world
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Bacon and ham sold in the UK should carry cigarette-style labels warning that chemicals in them cause bowel cancer, scientists say.

Their demand comes as they criticise successive British governments for doing “virtually nothing” to reduce the risk from nitrites in the decade since they were found to definitely cause cancer.

Saturday marks a decade since the World Health Organization in October 2015 declared processed meat declared processed meat to be carcinogenic to humans, putting it in the same category as tobacco and asbestos.

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[–] 0 points 1 year ago* (6 children)

Well I just looked it up. Looks like nitrites are in salad. So its official, salad causes cancer. I fucking knew it. So we are going to put cigarrette style warnings on salad now, right?

Foods High in Nitrates

Nitrates are naturally occurring compounds found in various foods, particularly vegetables. They can also be added to certain processed foods. Here’s a breakdown of foods that contain nitrates:

Natural Sources of Nitrates

The majority of dietary nitrates come from vegetables. Here are some key examples:

VEGETABLE NITRATE CONTENT (PER 100G)

Spinach ~741 mg

Lettuce Varies, generally high

Beets Varies, generally high

Celery Varies, generally high

Carrots Varies, generally high

Cabbage Varies, generally high

Radishes Varies, generally high

Processed Foods with Added Nitrates

Certain processed meats have nitrates added for preservation and flavor. Common examples include:

Bacon

Hot dogs

Salami

Sausages

Deli meats (e.g., ham, bologna)

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  • [–] 10 points 1 year ago (3 children)

    First search result on Nitrates:

    Studies show that eating vegetables rich in natural nitrates can help reduce your risk of getting some chronic health conditions, whereas eating foods high in added nitrates can cause health risks. Why is that?

    Experts think that the antioxidants (such as vitamin C) in vegetables with high nitrates help prevent their breakdown into nitrosamines.

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  • [–] 12 points 1 year ago

    Not really. Veggies do contain nitrates, but that’s not the same as the nitrites used in processed meat. In vegetables, nitrates come with antioxidants like vitamin C and polyphenols that prevent the formation of nitrosamines (the actual carcinogenic compounds). In bacon or cured meat, the combination of nitrites, proteins, and heat can create nitrosamines. Veggie nitrates are generally linked to better cardiovascular health, not cancer.

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