During the summer, you likely went to many parties, and there will be plenty of others as the holiday season approaches. Chances are there were many delicious snacks to choose from when you went to those parties, and the same will happen during holiday parties in the upcoming months. However, if there are certain foods you enjoy at these parties, you may want to put a strict limit on those because they can increase your chances of colon cancer. And even though that type of cancer is easily detected early on, why put yourself at risk? Let’s talk about the party snack that can increase your chances of colon cancer that you do not want to keep eating.
Foods With Added Nitrates Increase Your Chances Of Colon Cancer
Nitrogen and oxygen create the nitrates in food as they come from two sources. There are nitrates that are added to processed meats, as well as nitrates that naturally occur in plants. Nitrates show up differently in your body which depends on their origin. And foods with added nitrates will risk your health, and it can drastically increase your chances of developing colon cancer. That means smoked meats can be a risk to your health. However, there is one particular party snack that you will want to steer clear of if you can help it.
Keep Away From Charcuterie
If you happen to go to a party and they are serving charcuterie, stay away from it, as it can pose a significant health risk to you. Yes, that is right. Suppose you see a charcuterie board with various smoked meat such as mortadella, prosciutto, rillettes, Spanish chorizo, and Genoa salami. In that case, you will want to keep away from it at the next party. You may also see charcuterie at weddings and other celebrations.
Because it has been found that charcuterie is so high in added nitrates, France is making plans to curb the use of too many nitrates, which are used to enhance the flavor, shelf life, and color of these meats. However, other methods to make these meats delicious are safer. In addition to that, processed meat is now considered to be part of group one carcinogen.
You Will Want To Be Mindful Of Eating Processed Meats
The World Health Organization WHO back in 2015 listed processed meat as part of the group one carcinogen in addition to asbestos and tobacco. Even though generally smoked meats may not be as risky to your health as charcuterie, you still want to be mindful of how much of it you consume because there are risks. There are other health risks that come with eating processed meats that you will want to be mindful of, as it can increase your chances of developing type 2 diabetes, coronary heart disease, and stroke compared to other sources of protein. You will want to stick to non-smoked fish, poultry, and legumes, and you can always freeze meats that are not smoked and that do not have other additives for a long period of time to keep them fresh.
If You Love Deli Meat, Should You Eliminate It?
Hearing that your favorite meat can pose such health risks is a tough pill to swallow. But the good news is that you do not need to cut it out of your diet entirely. You can limit your intake to 150g or 5.3 ounces of deli meat once a week and still be safe. Choose a day to look forward to enjoying, and ensure that you balance your diet with eating at least five servings of vegetables and fruits daily. Then odds are you will be fine unless genetics are in the way you cannot control.
