Processed red meats associated with stroke and diabetes

Love sausages, hams, pepperoni and bologna? A recent Swedish study - the largest to date - once again confirms that people who eat more processed red meats (but not fresh red meat) have a higher risk of getting a stroke.

What's particularly startling is that those who ate the most processed meat also had a healthier diet, consuming more fruit, vegetables, and whole grains. In other words, the processed red meats even had the power to negate the positive effects of a healthier diet.

This is not the first time preserved red meats have been implicated: other studies have also linked its consumption to Type II diabetes and heart disease.

In one study, researchers found that just 50 grams of processed meat daily (approximately one hot dog or two strips of bacon) was enough to up the risk of developing Type II diabetes by a whopping 51%! In comparison, consuming 100 grams of unprocessed red meat increased the risk of developing Type II diabetes by only 19%. The good news is that by substituting one serving of nuts, low-fat dairy, and whole grains per day for one serving of red meat, you can reduce your Type II diabetes risk by up to 35%.

So watch you eat folks. Processed red meats are actually common these days in Singapore than you think, especially baked stuff (sausage bread rolls, pizzas), so you may want to be mindful when choosing your meals.

Here are some processed red meats I can think of:

• Sausage/Hot dog
• Ham
• Bacon
• Pepperoni
• Bologna
• Spam/Luncheon meat
• Corned beef

Moderation is the key to good health, so an occasional serving or two per week shouldn't do much harm.


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