In the 'Symptoms - Food - Intake' section of our in-depth questionnaire we ask the following question about luncheon meat consumption:
 |
 |
 |
|
Do you consume processed meats, such as hot dogs, sausages, bacon, jerky, smoked ham or luncheon meats?
|
Your answer |
...indicates |
...and suggests |
| 1. |
"Never / don't know" |
No luncheon meat consumption |
A risk factor |
| 2. |
"Once per week or less" |
Luncheon meat consumption |
A risk factor |
| 3. |
"2-3 times per week" |
Luncheon meat consumption |
A risk factor |
| 4. |
"4-7 times per week" |
High luncheon meat consumption |
A risk factor |
| 5. |
"A lot / more than once daily" |
High luncheon meat consumption |
A risk factor |
|
|
 |
|
 |
Your answer will affect the likelihoods of the conditions below.
Any answers in green reduce the likelihood of the condition.
|
|
|
|
| Answers |
Condition |
Comment |
|
2 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
Consequences of Poor Diet |
Processed meats often contain various chemicals known to be carcinogens. |
|
2 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
Pancreatic Cancer |
May, 2005: The University of Hawaii released a new study that shows people who consume processed meats have a 67% increased risk of pancreatic cancer over those who consume little or no meat products. The study was done over a period of seven years on nearly 200,000 people. Researchers pin the blame on sodium nitrite, a chemical used in nearly all processed meats, including sausage, hot dogs, jerkies, bacon, lunch meat, and even meats in canned soup products. Sodium nitrite is a precursor to highly carcinogenic nitrosamines -- potent cancer-causing chemicals that accelerate the formation and growth of cancer cells throughout the body. |
|
2 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
Stomach Cancer |
Nitrates and nitrites, such as those in hot dogs, lunch meats, and other cured meats, increase food levels of nitrates, which can lead to the formation of carcinogenic nitrosamines in the stomach.
Processed meats are often salted or smoked, or nitrites may be added to them, in order to prolong their shelf-life. It may be the case that these treatments increase the risk of developing stomach cancer, but previous studies have given contradictory results.
Said Susanna Larsson, research student at The Institute of Environmental Medicine at Karolinska Institutet in Sweden, "We decided to carry out a meta-analysis. This is an analysis in which we collated all research into processed meats and stomach cancer that we could find".
They found 15 studies, covering 4,704 subjects in the period 1966 to 2006, and the results are unequivocal: the risk of developing stomach cancer increases by between 15% and 38% when consumption of processed meat products increases by 30gm (approximately a half-portion) per day.
["Processed Meat Consumption and Stomach Cancer Risk: A Meta-Analysis"; Susanna C. Larsson, Nicola Orsini and Alicja Wolk; Journal of the National Cancer Institute, Volym 98, Nummer 15, Augusti 2006] |
|
2 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
Testicular Cancer |
(Men only) In October of 2003, the largest study on diet and testicular cancer ever conducted was published, studying the diets of hundreds of cancer victims. After cheese consumption, the second strongest dietary risk factor for testicular cancer seemed to be the consumption of lunch meat. [International Journal of Cancer 106 (2003): p.934] |
|
|
|
|
|
GLOSSARY
Cancer
Refers to the various types of malignant neoplasms that contain cells growing out of control and invading adjacent tissues, which may metastasize to distant tissues.
Carcinogen (Carcinogenic, Carcinogenicity)
Any agent that is cancer-causing.
Gram (gm, gms, Gramme, Grammes, Grams)
A metric unit of weight, there being approximately 28 grams in one ounce.
Nitrosamine (Nitrosamines)
A chemical that may be formed from the metabolism of nitrates which are common preservatives used in processed foods.
Pancreas (Pancreatic)
Opposite the liver and behind the stomach, the pancreas has two main functions - to manufacture various enzymes for digestion, and to release hormones to help control the body's use of carbohydrates. It releases insulin to help each cell absorb glucose to burn as energy. In this way, insulin controls the amount of sugar (glucose) in the blood. Proper pancreatic function is very important: too much, too little, or no insulin production can be life-threatening. Some of the chemicals released by the pancreas are not hormones, but stimulate other glands to make hormones. Once again, balance is necessary. Nutritional requirements for the pancreas are many. Research indicates that chromium vitamins C, E, B-complex, calcium, magnesium and potassium are especially important.
Precursor (Precursors)
A biochemical substance, such as an intermediate compound in a chain of enzymatic reactions, from which a more stable or definitive product is formed.
Sodium
An essential mineral that our bodies regulate and conserve. Excess sodium retention increases the fluid volume (edema) and low sodium leads to less fluid and relative dehydration. The adult body averages a total content of over 100 grams of sodium, of which a surprising one-third is in bone. A small amount of sodium does get into cell interiors, but this represents only about ten percent of the body content. The remaining 57 percent or so of the body sodium content is in the fluid immediately surrounding the cells, where it is the major cation (positive ion). The role of sodium in the extracellular fluid is maintaining osmotic equilibrium (the proper difference in ions dissolved in the fluids inside and outside the cell) and extracellular fluid volume. Sodium is also involved in nerve impulse transmission, muscle tone and nutrient transport. All of these functions are interrelated with potassium.
Stomach
A hollow, muscular, J-shaped pouch located in the upper part of the abdomen to the left of the midline. The upper end (fundus) is large and dome-shaped; the area just below the fundus is called the body of the stomach. The fundus and the body are often referred to as the cardiac portion of the stomach. The lower (pyloric) portion curves downward and to the right and includes the antrum and the pylorus. The function of the stomach is to begin digestion by physically breaking down food received from the esophagus. The tissues of the stomach wall are composed of three types of muscle fibers: circular, longitudinal and oblique. These fibers create structural elasticity and contractibility, both of which are needed for digestion. The stomach mucosa contains cells which secrete hydrochloric acid and this in turn activates the other gastric enzymes pepsin and rennin. To protect itself from being destroyed by its own enzymes, the stomach’s mucous lining must constantly regenerate itself.
Testicles (Testicle, Testicular)
Egg-shaped sex glands in the scrotum that secrete male hormones such as testosterone, and produce sperm.
Last updated: May 10, 2007
|
 |
|
|
