EAT AT YOUR OWN RISK –
April 27, 2025 – Sugar-laden eats, alcohol, and fried foods are obvious choices to nix from your diet in the name of longevity, but doctors have another to add to that list: Processed meats.Lunch meats, bacon, sausages, jerky, and canned meats are all potentially harmful to your heart health if eaten in excess, experts say. “Many studies have shown their toll on health and increasing the risk for heart disease,” Francisco Lopez-Jimenez, M.D., a cardiologist at Mayo Clinic, previously told Prevention in a conversation about the foods you should not eat. “Many of the substances used in the process to preserve meat have been shown to increase the risk for cancer, hypertension, and other health conditions.”
A 2021 study published in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition tracked the meat consumption of 135,000 people and found that consuming processed meat significantly increases the risk of cardiovascular disease. More specifically, the study found that eating 150 grams or more of processed meat per week increases the risk of cardiovascular disease by 46% and the risk of early death by 50%, compared to eating no processed meat. The study authors also noted that processed meat consists of any type of meat that is “salted, cured, or treated with preservatives and/or food additives.”
