Processed meat is carcinogenic to humans. And now, what do we eat?
The recent news about the WHO declaration regarding the consumption of red meat and processed meat It has caused a great stir in the population.
It seems that listening so forcefully that Eating too much meat can be harmful to your health. (so much so that it is a possible cause of some cancers, such as colorectal cancer) has set off alarm bells.
It's important to know What do the two terms refer to?:
- Red meat It is all the muscle meat of mammals, including beef, veal, pork, lamb, horse and goat.
- processed meat refers to meat that has been transformed through salting, curing, fermentation, smoking, or other processes to improve its flavor or preservation. Most processed meats contain pork or beef, but they may also contain other red meats, poultry, offal, or meat byproducts such as blood.
In summary, through the WHO meta-analysis, the processed meat as carcinogenic for human beings; and the Red meat as probably carcinogenic for humans.
News that is not new
But, ultimately, the news should not surprise us because it is nothing new.
Through many nutrition education campaigns and tools, we have been told a thousand times these nutritional guidelines I'm sure they sound familiar to you:
- That we should not abuse the consumption of meat, specifically red meat.
- That the consumption of fish is preferable to meat
- That the famous processed meats should be consumed very occasionally or not at all.
- That there are sources of protein of plant origin that should be more present in our diet.
With this it is demonstrated that nutrition education strategies have failed, and that we only react to such resounding headlines from an entity as important as the WHO, with the media impact that entails.
And now what do we eat?
Another shocking point of the situation It has been the reaction of many people “And now what do we eat?”
We return to them, nutritional education has failed because many people do not see beyond the steak as a second course.
We live in a privileged environment with a high supply of food, therefore it is not difficult to vary the diet with the consumption of other meats (chicken, turkey...), more consumption of fish, eggs and legumes; leaving red meat for less frequent consumption and processed meat (sausages, hamburgers, sausages...) for very occasional or non-existent consumption.
Finally, it should be noted that The world of food is highly influenced by the food industry and it has taken little time for the corresponding sectors to shed light on the matter and define recommended quantities of processed meats without having a negative effect on health.
Let's not allow ourselves to be manipulated and since the WHO has decided to send this message (for some, so new) Let's take the opportunity to change habits towards healthier eating..
How to Live Aligned with last thought I include a quote that many nutritionists have used on social networks:
“Processed meat is dispensable, it does not contribute ANYTHING interesting to the diet nor ANYTHING that we cannot obtain from other, much more recommended sources. Eliminating it from the diet does not have any negative effect and, on the other hand, we do know that it can have a positive impact."
Beatriz, professional nutritionist
