What are the long-term risks of eating processed red meat?

Do you like salami, ham, bacon, and sausages? Beware.

Long-term research shows that consuming just 50 g of these “processed red meats” per day can increase your relative risk (compared to not eating them) of developing various (fatal) diseases [Wolk 2017].

The mechanisms aren’t clear, but preservatives like nitrate/nitrite may play a role, as well as the forming of certain chemicals from exposure to high heat.

For unprocessed meats, like minced beef and beef steak, the evidence is less clear. But recent research shows links to certain diseases as well.

P.S. Did you know that Green house emission per gram of protein are 9.2x higher for beef than for eggs? [Clark and Tilman 2017].