People consuming a lot of processed meat such as sausages, ham and bacon are at an increased risk of early death, according to a new study that evaluated half a million people across Europe.
The study followed people across 10 European countries over a period of 13 years. About one in every 17 people followed in the study died. Nearly 10,000 people died from cancer and 5,500 from heart problems.
The study, however, revealed that those who are consuming more than 160g of processed meat a day are 44% more likely to die by the follow-up time of 12.7 years, compared to those who only consumed 20g.
Currently, the UK government recommends eating no more than 70g of processed meat daily.
The study also showed that people who ate processed meat were more likely to be obese and have behaviors that may affect health, such as smoking. However, even after these risk factors were taken into consideration, consuming processed meat still increased health risk.
The research, published in the journal BMC Medicine, suggested that salt and chemicals used to preserve the meat may affect health.
World Cancer Research Fund deputy head of science Rachel Thompson was quoted by the BBC as saying that research adds to the scientific evidence indicating the health risks of eating processed meat.
This is why World Cancer Research Fund recommends people avoid processed meat, Thompson added.
