We all know that hot dogs, bologna, and luncheon meat are not the best foods that we can eat. Now a recent study reports that the intake of processed meat and its components is linked to increased risk for bladder cancer, according to the results of the large, prospective National Institutes of Health–AARP Diet and Health Study reported online August 2 in Cancer. People with the highest levels of dietary nitrite had nearly a 30 percent increase in risk, the study shows.
Multiple potentially carcinogenic meat-related compounds related to cooking and processing, including nitrate, nitrite, heterocyclic amines (HCAs), and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) could all be contributors to the increased rate of bladder cancer.
“Our findings highlight the importance of studying meat-related compounds to better understand the association between meat and cancer risk,” senior author Amanda J. Cross, PhD, also from the National Cancer Institute, said in a news release. “Comprehensive epidemiologic data on meat-related exposures and bladder cancer are lacking; our findings should be followed up in other prospective studies.”
Related posts:
