Breast cancer risk from three bacon rashers….

Posted on the 3rd January 2018

You may have seen the recent coverage of a recent and sizeable British study into the link between elevated rates of breast cancer in older women and processed meat such as ham, bacon and sausages.

The research is the strongest evidence yet for a connection between the foods and the country’s most common kind of cancer, which accounts for one in six cases of the disease.

People should also be aware of the link between processed meat and bowel cancer. Bowel cancer is the second biggest cancer killer in the UK after lung cancer, causing more than 15,000 deaths every year, a staggering figure.

A report published by the World Cancer Research Fund (WCRF) has concluded that eating processed meat increases the risk of developing bowel cancer. They have gone on record saying, ‘There is scientific evidence that eating processed meat increases bowel cancer risk and this is why WCRF recommends people avoid (it).’

The WCRF study concluded that there was ‘strong evidence’ that eating 50g or more of processed meat per day increased the risk of developing bowel cancer, and that eliminating it from diets could save hundreds of lives annually. Around 7,000 people in the UK develop bowel cancer each year, with around 5,000 dying from the disease.

Researchers also stated that there was ‘some evidence that suggests consuming grilled or barbecued meat and fish increases the risk of stomach cancer’, whilst diets high in fruit and vegetables, especially citrus fruits, were associated with a much lower risk. This position is now backed by the World Health Organization and the American Cancer Society as well.

We appreciate that other causal influences such as drinking alcohol and being overweight have also been identified as key risk factors in developing stomach cancer, so we would advocate a healthy vegan diet as the best way to help mitigate this risk. Why not order a Go Vegan pack today if you’re not already vegan!

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