Deli Meat: Maybe cut out the cold cut
A
nice heart cold cut, lunch meat, whichever type of deli meat you favor, reading
the labels of these pre-packed proteins is very important. There are so many
types of deli meats from bologna to turkey breast, making a selection available
for every taste bud. However, this “meat”, really isn’t just meat, rather, it’s
a concoction of different by-products filled with chemicals. The fat and sodium
in excess increase the health risks increase for developing Type 2 diabetes and
high blood pressure, while chances of heart attack and stroke also rise.
Processed meats contain plenty of preservatives, hence their shelf life in your
refrigerator. These particular preservatives are nitrates or nitrites. These
are a potential carcinogen. All of the added flavors, smoking, salting, and
curing the meat, have been linked to cancer. The World Health Organization
(WHO) considers processed meat, which is deli meat, to be a Group 1 carcinogen.
Other additional ingredients include like
butylated hydroxyanisole (BHA) and butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT). Those don’t
sound like they are meant to visit the digestive system. It seems like a
couple slices of bread with lettuce and tomato with whichever meat, would be a
healthy lunch choice. So easy to make must mean too good to be true. Some meat
labels say they have no artificial sweeteners or are uncured, but the label
needs to say nitrates or nitrites free. We are easily lured by the words
“natural” or “organic”, but further investigation needs to be done. Eating
ingredients that we are unable to pronounce should probably be avoided. Bologna
is basically a mix of sausage, pork, chemicals, and preservatives. In other
words, avoid.
This doesn’t mean
that you have to completely cut deli meat out of the picture. As is with most
eating, making the meal with these meats yourself is probably healthier.
Ordering a sandwich at the local shop reveals the shelf life and the added
taste from the preservatives. That’s not to say that eating a greasy pizza
slice or juicy hamburger would be justified or a better option. However,
looking for low sodium options is important. One slice of typical deli meat can
contain over 200 mg of sodium, and most sandwiches are layered with meat. It is
interesting that the World Health Organization has found that eating just 50
grams of deli meat or any processed meat daily increases the risk for
colorectal cancer by 18%. Anything packed and preserved has been transformed
from its original taste for us to have easy access to and for manufactures to
prey on our pursuit of convenience. Choosing a deli counter versus a packaged
is also a better option. A person can also roast their own meat and slice it
themselves. The more far removed you know where something has come from, the
more you should remove it from your diet. In the end, hold the mayo and cheese,
and tell the person crafting your sandwich that you will pass on the nitrates
too. Clean eating typically means not eating foods that come in a
box or package and this may include deli meat as well.
https://academicjournals.org/article/article1380894469_Long%20et%20al.pdf
https://academic.oup.com/aje/article/179/3/282/103471
