02-11-2015 07:00

If you fancy sinking your teeth into a bacon butty, you may want to think again. The World Health Organisation has announced that processed meat, such as bacon, ham and sausages, can cause cancer. Experts found eating 50 grams of processed meat – that’s less than two slices of bacon – increases the risk of bowel cancer by 18%. Nutritionists are urging meat eaters to take heed of the new advice.

“Red and processed meat is linked to cancer with scientific evidence, so it’s not just something that has been suggested or that one report has said. So I would say that absolutely is something that we want to pay attention to, we want to take note.”

The WHO report listed processed meat alongside alcohol, asbestos, arsenic and cigarettes as cancer-causing substances. It also classified red meat as “probably” carcinogenic, though there was limited evidence. But for many, the new guidelines won’t stop them from tucking into something meaty.

“I mean, it’s ridiculous to compare red meat with cigarettes and things like that. It’s just ridiculous.”

“I think food awareness in general is really important, but that’s possibly a step too far. I mean, every week, you know, tomatoes give you cancer, you know… There’s a new fad, a new alert… ”

“We’ve been eating meat for years, and I don’t think it’s carcinogenic, so… But I think people are wise enough to read and make their own choices.”

Difficult words: fancy (to like), butty (sandwich), announce (to officially say something), bowel (the system of tubes where food goes after leaving the stomach), nutritionist (a person has a special knowledge of nutrition – food), urge (to suggest strongly), take heed (to pay attention to), take note (to pay attention), asbestos (material that keeps buildings cool or warm and cannot catch on fire easily – it is usually inside of walls of old buildings), arsenic (a poison you usually find in chemicals to kills insects), tuck into (to eat), fad (something that is new and popular for a short time).

Source: www.ondemandnews.com