Step Aside PETA Reactionaries and Vegetarian Sissies, I give you SCIENCE!

[vmarwin]

From a buddy of mine:

http://circ.ahajournals.org/cgi/content/abstract/CIRCULATIONAHA.109.924977v1

[MazdaMatt]

So processed meat, not red meat, is evil... Science, you sure can make a whole lotta work for discovering the obvious.

[kfreeman]

Can someone please provide a good definition of the difference between red meat and processed meat (esp. as it pertains to this research)?

I know it seems a bit sisyphean but I honestly don't know the difference.

[brianb]

Can someone please provide a good definition of the difference between red meat and processed meat (esp. as it pertains to this research)?

I know it seems a bit sisyphean but I honestly don't know the difference.

It's not defined in the abstract. I'm pretty sure things like Spam or anything else that comes in a can will fall under the processed meats category.

I wonder if deli meats like the various types of sausages, and cured meats like ham and bacon count as processed?

[Santisua]

It's not defined in the abstract. I'm pretty sure things like Spam or anything else that comes in a can will fall under the processed meats category.

I wonder if deli meats like the various types of sausages, and cured meats like ham and bacon count as processed?

I just got the article, I don't know if its because I am at university or because its available to anyone. I think processed meats would include bacon and those that have added substances(nitrates? possibly) although there is not sufficient evidence to accuse nitrates of anything, as far as I know.

Okay, worth an edit, just found out some of the processed meat, which are:

bacon, hot dogs and other processed meat. 2 slices of bacon per day had a 2-fold higher incidence of diabetes mellitus, same with 1 hot dog. Other processed meats had a 66% higher incidence.

Hmm interesting.

[brianb]

I just got the article, I don't know if its because I am at university or because its available to anyone. I think processed meats would include bacon and those that have added substances(nitrates? possibly) although there is not sufficient evidence to accuse nitrates of anything, as far as I know.

Okay, worth an edit, just found out some of the processed meat, which are:

bacon, hot dogs and other processed meat. 2 slices of bacon per day had a 2-fold higher incidence of diabetes mellitus, same with 1 hot dog. Other processed meats had a 66% higher incidence.

Hmm interesting.

Fuck.

[MazdaMatt]

I wouldn't start giving up bacon or stocking up on critical illness insurance yet. I'm sure that there is some corrolation between people that eat processed meats and people that generally don't take care of themselves, nutritionally.

[sergeant_81]

Cripes, we've been processing and eating bacon or some form of it for a few centuries. Don't these researchers have anything better to do?

[Santisua]

Also, the study does not really say anything about the training or conditioning of the individuals. Also, they clarified processed meat in the method:
"processed meat” was defined as any meat preserved by smoking, curing, or salting or addition of chemical preservatives, such as bacon, salami, sausages, hot dogs, or processed deli or luncheon meats, and excluding fish or eggs24;"

Another thing that I don't believe they talk about is the overall nutritional quality of the people, I mean, great you eat 2 pieces of bacon but if I eat 20 donuts the rest of the day, DM is for sure as hell going to be likely. I didn't read the entire publication, so maybe I missed something, but I think the only thing I'll take out of this is that red meat is awesome, but I knew that already.

[vmarwin]

What I like about this study is that it gives data to the contrary of what has been spewed by so many vegan/vegetarian types as well as much of the mainstream "fitness" community. That is, red meat is really bad for you. In fact "red meat" has become somewhat of a pejorative in the last 10-15 years. In fact, its not bad for you. If you lead a sedentary lifestyle and eat processed meat, hot dogs and bacon almost every day you're probably not that healthy. If you work out a lot and eat the same diet, youre going to be a lot healthier and strong (and most likely you were my college roommate) but if you work out hard, eat a lot of vegetables and eat red meat, youre going to be really healthy and strong.

I am sick of hearing that all red meat is bad when clearly its not. Eat well, including burgers and steaks and grow strong.

[MazdaMatt]

It is just a broad study, they are looking at statistical averages. This means that "those people who consume 2 pieces of bacon" as compared to those who do not... well i'm sure that "those people" are also the more likely to go to grease-pit all-you-can-eat meat shops than people that don't eat bacon daily for breakfast.

A good analogy is this:
Off-the-shelf multivitamins don't do squat for your health
However, people who take them daily have a much healthier life
This is because if you put that kind of effort into your health, you're probably not eating bacon and salami all day.
It is just as productive to be "the type of person that takes multivits daily".

[Jamie J. Skibicki]

What if you take vitamins and eat bacon and salami all day?

I think if you keep your bacon intake to a reasonable level, say less than 5 lbs a week, you shuol dbe okay.

[Bahadur]

What they failed to mention is that people who ate bacon had much higher rates of personal happiness and general satisfaction in life due to deliciousness.

[MazdaMatt]

Would you rather live a long life without bacon, or a short life with bacon?

(Its a deep question, but it is clearly rhetorical because bacon IS life).

[Rorschach]

As a wise philosopher once said,

"Bacon is good for me."

[kfreeman]

I just thought it'd be interesting to know what was counting as "processed". In general I try to eat by something I read on a paleo website once (not... it's not "strict paleo"): Eat things that you either combined yourself or that have only 1 ingrediant.

IE: When I shop I buy raw meats, eggs, milk, and raw vegetables. I generally don't go down the aisles or eat anything out of a can, container, or jar (peanut butter being the regular exception).