Bacon Could Be As Bad For You As Smoking

There are hearts breaking all over the world with this news! 

It has been reported that global health experts are to warn that bacon, ham and sausages are as big a cancer threat as cigarettes.

The classifications, by The World Health Organisation's International Agency for Research on Cancer, are believed to regard processed meat as "carcinogenic to humans". This is the highest of five possible rankings, shared with alcohol, asbestos, arsenic and cigarettes.

The World Cancer Research Fund (WCRF) has warned for several years that there is "strong evidence" that consuming a lot of red meat can cause bowel cancer.

It also says there is "strong evidence" that processed meats - even in smaller quantities - increase cancer risk.

One possible reason is that the compound that gives red meat its colour, haem, may damage the lining of the bowel.
Also, when meat is preserved by smoking, curing or salting, or by adding preservatives, cancer-causing substances (carcinogens) can be formed.

The WCRF advises that people can reduce their bowel cancer risk by eating no more than 500g (cooked weight) per week of red meat, such as beef, pork and lamb.

Source