Sausage Is the Cigarette of Our Time
It’s no secret that processed meat and red meat are highly likely to be carcinogenic.
The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), an intergovernmental agency affiliated with the World Health Organization, classifies carcinogens into four groups based on the strength of scientific evidence. They published the full list, but here are some examples of each group.
| Group | Description | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| Group 1 | Carcinogenic to humans. | tobacco, asbestos, alcoholic beverages, processed meat |
| Group 2A | Probably carcinogenic to humans. | night shift work, dioxins, high-temperature frying emissions, red meat |
| Group 2B | Possibly carcinogenic to humans. | pickled vegetables, PFOS |
| Group 3 | Not classifiable as to its carcinogenicity to humans. | caffeine, tea |
Science has been crystal clear about the health risks of processed meat and red meat. The IARC published the report on this back in 2015.
Yet, most people aren’t aware of the risks or don’t take them seriously, just like those who kept smoking cigarettes in the past despite the clear scientific evidence.
The carcinogenic properties of processed meat such as bacon, ham, hot dogs, and sausage are especially shocking as they are in the same group as cigarettes. Though the cancer risk from cigarettes is far higher, processed meat still has a significant association with colorectal cancer at high doses.
Until society changes, we need to take responsibility for our own health and for our loved ones.