Browse evidence-based analysis of health-related claims and assertions
Some chemicals in processed meats like bacon or sausages might cause cancer, so experts say we need to look again at how safe these foods really are.
Descriptive
Eating processed meats like bacon or hot dogs can cause chemical reactions in your gut that create harmful compounds called nitrosamines, which build up in your body.
Causal
When certain chemicals are added to processed meats like bacon or hot dogs, they can turn into other chemicals that might cause cancer, according to health experts.
Mechanistic
Eating nitrate-rich foods might seem to protect against stomach cancer, but it's probably not the nitrates themselves. When researchers accounted for vitamins and other healthy stuff in vegetables, the protection disappeared—so the real benefit likely comes from other nutrients in those foods.
Correlational
Different types of studies can give different results when looking at nitrates and nitrites. For example, some studies show a bigger effect than others just because of how they're designed.
Eating more nitrites, even just a tiny bit extra each day, might raise your chance of getting stomach cancer, according to research that looked at several studies.
Quantitative
Eating a lot of a chemical called NDMA in food might raise your chance of getting stomach cancer by about one-third, based on a big review of studies.
Eating a lot of foods with nitrites might raise your chances of getting stomach cancer by about one-third, according to a big review of many studies.
Eating more nitrate-rich foods might lower your chances of getting stomach cancer by about 20%, based on a big review of many studies, especially in European countries.
In Switzerland, between 2015 and 2019, the top lifestyle habits linked to cancer cases were smoking, being overweight, and drinking too much alcohol.
In Switzerland, more men than women got cancers linked to lifestyle habits like diet or smoking between 2015 and 2019.
In Switzerland, about one out of every four cancer cases that could have been avoided were linked to things people can change, like smoking, drinking too much, being overweight, not exercising enough, and eating poorly.
Eating a lot of processed meat every day might lead to higher levels of certain chemicals in poop for people with bowel issues, which could be a sign of potential health risks.
When people have damage in their gut lining, higher levels of certain chemicals in their poop are linked to more DNA-damaging potential, meaning these chemicals might increase cancer risk.
Eating certain chemicals found in some foods might increase harmful compounds in the gut of people with colon issues, but we're not sure if this happens for all types of colon problems because there weren't enough people studied.
When there's more damage in the gut, poop has higher levels of certain chemicals, and this goes up as the damage gets worse, like from healthy people to cancer patients.
Eating processed meats like bacon or sausage is linked to higher levels of certain chemicals in poop that might be harmful, especially in people with gut issues.
Eating healthy foods and exercising regularly can help lower your chances of getting many kinds of cancer, so it's a good idea to focus on these habits to stay healthy.
When countries get richer, people have more free time, eat more convenience foods, spend more time on screens, and move less, and all these changes together can raise the chance of getting cancer.
When you feel stressed and anxious, your body makes more harmful molecules that can damage cells, and this damage might help cancer grow.
Certain everyday habits like smoking, drinking too much alcohol, being overweight, and not moving around enough can raise your chances of getting different kinds of cancer.
Cooking food at high heat, like grilling or frying, creates chemicals that can damage your DNA and lead to cancer.
Eating fiber helps lower your chances of getting colon cancer by keeping your blood sugar in check, boosting good gut bacteria, and reducing inflammation in your body.
When you eat processed meats like bacon or hot dogs, chemicals in them can turn into harmful substances in your stomach that can damage your DNA and might cause cancer.