Earth.com – Our everyday food choices are often guided by taste, tradition, and convenience.
However, beneath these choices lie hidden risks that many tend to ignore. There is growing evidence suggesting that even tiny amounts of processed meat, sugary drinks, and trans fats carry health risks.
A team of researchers analyzed over 60 previous studies. They looked at how processed meat, sugar-sweetened beverages, and trans fats impact risks of type 2 diabetes, colorectal cancer, and ischemic heart disease.
“Habitual consumption of even small amounts of processed meat, sugary drinks, and trans fatty acids is linked to increased risk of developing type 2 diabetes, ischemic heart disease and colorectal cancer,” said Dr. Demewoz Haile, the study’s lead author from the University of Washington.
The analysis revealed alarming trends. Eating just one hot dog a day increased type 2 diabetes risk by 11 percent. It also raised the risk of colorectal cancer by 7 percent.
Consuming a daily 12-ounce soda raised type 2 diabetes risk by 8 percent and ischemic heart disease by 2 percent.
“This current research has shown, yet again and consistent with prior research, that to achieve health gains it is best to avoid or minimize the habitual consumption of each of processed meat, sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs) and industrially produced trans fatty acids (TFAs),” said Dr. Nita Forouhi of the University of Cambridge.
According to Dr. Forouhi, there is no such thing as a “safe amount” of processed meat consumption.
The risks associated with eating processed meats may appear small. However, Dr. Mingyang Song from Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health explained why they are concerning.
“When we look at the actual data there, it’s really remarkably consistent and remarkably strong, and even in the lower dose of consumption, we can still see an increased risk of disease,” he said …
