{"id":461830,"date":"2025-12-21T08:27:21","date_gmt":"2025-12-21T08:27:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/461830\/"},"modified":"2025-12-21T08:27:21","modified_gmt":"2025-12-21T08:27:21","slug":"popular-christmas-dinner-item-causes-cancer-and-increases-heart-attack-risk","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/461830\/","title":{"rendered":"Popular Christmas dinner item causes cancer and increases heart attack risk"},"content":{"rendered":"

With Christmas Day just days away, millions of us are getting in the last of the food needed for the festive period. But what you might not know is there is a direct link between cancer and one of the most popular items on your plate on Christmas<\/a> Day.<\/p>\n

Many people believe sugar causes cancer, but this is not the case<\/a>. Only two foods are known to have a direct link to cancer. They are alcohol and processed meats. And, given this Christmas favourite is made up of bacon and sausages, the beloved pigs in blankets fall firmly into the processed meats category.<\/p>\n

Of course, no one is suggesting that you are going to get cancer because you ate some pigs in blankets on Christmas Day, just as no one is suggesting you will be diagnosed with cancer as a result of a glass of wine or sherry. That said, recent scientific studies say there is no safe amount of alcohol to drink and that even a small amount increases your chance of getting cancer. In a recent report<\/a>, Vivek Murthy, the former surgeon general of the US Public Health Service, warned that alcohol use had been directly linked with at least seven types of cancers<\/a>. He also warned that even light or moderate alcohol consumption can increase a person\u2019s risk of cancer.<\/p>\n

Processed meat and alcohol are classified as Group 1 carcinogens by the World Health Organisation, meaning they are carcinogenic to humans. The WHO says: “There is convincing evidence that the agent causes cancer.” Tobacco smoking and asbestos are also Group 1 carcinogens, though the WHO stresses that this does not mean that alcohol and processed meat are equally as dangerous as smoking and asbestos. Cancer Research UK says unequivocally: “We know for definite that processed meat is a cause of cancer. We are sure about this link like we are for other proven causes of cancer, like tobacco and alcohol.”<\/p>\n

What is processed meat?<\/p>\n

The World Health Organisation says processed meat refers to “meat that has been transformed through salting, curing, fermentation, smoking, or other processes to enhance flavour or improve preservation”. Sausages and bacon are among the examples of processed meats given by the WHO and Cancer Research UK.<\/p>\n

Cancer Research UK explains that chemicals found in processed meat, added during processing or produced when cooking it, include nitrates and nitrites, which are used to keep processed meat fresher for longer. It adds: “When we eat them, nitrates and nitrites can become N-nitroso chemicals (NOCs) that can damage the cells that line our bowel. This damage can lead to bowel cancer.”<\/p>\n

Why does processed meat cause cancer?<\/p>\n

Research has linked three meat-related chemicals to increased bowel cancer risk.<\/a> These chemicals are either naturally found in meat, added during processing or produced when cooking:<\/p>\n