- Give A Gift new study in the Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.
- Processed meat consumption has increased from 182 grams a week to 187 grams a week between 1999 and 2016.
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Despite numerous studies—like this one, this one, and this one—linking processed meat to higher cancer risk and other serious health issues, Americans sure do love the stuff. In fact, a new study finds, we’re eating just as much of it as ever.
Eat for Abs Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, the study found that the amount of processed meat eaten by Americans has remained unchanged in the past 18 years. Plus, even though research often touts the benefits of fish, we’re not eating more of it.
Researchers looked at dietary data from nearly 44,000 adults over age 20 who participated in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, which tracked food intake from 1999 to 2016.
In that timeframe, processed meats actually increased slightly, from 182 grams a week to 187 grams. The top five types consumed were deli meat, sausage, hot dogs, ham, and bacon. Fish was a paltry 115 grams a week in 1999, and only went up by a single gram by the study’s endpoint.
By contrast, consumption of unprocessed red meat went down, from 340 grams a week to 284 grams, primarily due to lower consumption of beef. That seems replaced by chicken, which went up in consumption.
The fact that there’s been so little change in how much meat is in our meals is likely the result of a few different trends, according to nutrition expert Jenna Braddock, R.D.N., who told Bicycling Controversy Over Bostons 6-Hour Results Cutoff.
That led many people to believe eating more protein, including processed meats—which tend to be more affordable and convenient—was a very good thing, Braddock said. A recession during the study’s timeframe may have been another factor, she added, leading to reliance on cheaper processed meat options.
“By itself, the findings are bit staggering,” Braddock said. “However, health is not created nor destroyed by one food group alone. People make their food choices for a lot of reasons, including taste, price, availability, ease of preparation, cooking availability, and familiarity.” These are all areas to focus on when looking at a reduction in eating certain foods, she added.
In terms of whether continued meat consumption, particularly when it comes to processed meat, is a direction worth changing, researchers of the recent study do believe we need to switch tracks, at least to some degree.
They pointed out there’s accumulating evidence linking consumption of processed meat not just to some cancers, but also obesity, diabetes, and cardiovascular diseases.
Processed meat isn’t the biggest diet threat when it comes to association with cancer, Fang Fang Zhang, M.D., Ph.D., Leslie Jones Will Commentate the Olympics Bicycling. That would be low consumption of whole grains as Americans consume a high amount of processed, refined carbs. But processed meat follows closely behind, especially with colorectal cancer risk.
[Advertisement - Continue Reading Below Fang Fang Zhang, M.D., Ph.D.]
Other poor dietary choices such as low vegetable and fruit intake and high consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages heighten the risks even more, Zhang added. She said that about 5 percent of all invasive cancer cases among U.S. adults can be linked to poor diet. That’s slightly lower than alcohol at 6 percent and excessive body weight at about 8 percent. But it’s higher than cancers attributed to sedentary behavior, associated with 3 percent of cancer cases.
How bad is processed meat, though, really? Pretty bad, according to the World Health Organization, which classifies it as a “group 1 carcinogen.” Others in that category include tobacco and asbestos.
“In previous research, we estimated that more than 80,000 new invasive cancer cases in the U.S. among adults aged 20 and older were liked with poor diet, and processed meats are a large part of that,” Zhang said. “This, and other studies, underscore the need for improving the consumption of key food groups and nutrients in America.”
So, before you toss your hero in the trash for good, take a look at your diet as a whole. Swap refined carbs such as white breads, pastas, and sweets with more nutrient-dense whole grains, and increase your intake of fruits and vegetables. For those who do choose more processed meats or meats in general, Bradford suggests educating yourself on how to incorporate more plant-based foods into the meals that include [meats] so you can start to gradually reduce your consumption.
Elizabeth Millard is a freelance writer focusing on health, wellness, fitness, and food.
