Bad news, meat lovers. While we’ve heard before the myriad ways meat consumption is bad for our bodies, the World Health Organization has decided to spoil today by taking a stand against processed (cured, smoked, salted, fermented) meats.
NPR says:
The World Health Organization has deemed that processed meats — such as bacon, sausages and hot dogs — cause cancer.
In addition, the WHO says red meats including beef, pork, veal and lamb are “probably carcinogenic” to people.
A group of 22 scientists reviewed the evidence linking red meat and processed meat consumption to cancer, and concluded that eating processed meats regularly increases the risk of colorectal cancer.
In a Q & A released by the IARC, the agency says that “eating meat has known health benefits,” but it also points out that the cancer risk increases with the amount of meat consumed. As we’ve reported, studies show that the heaviest meat eaters tend to have the highest risk.
The IARC says high-temperature cooking methods (such as cooking meat in direct contact with a flame) produce more carcinogenic compounds. However, the group says there were not enough data “to reach a conclusion about whether the way meat is cooked affects the risk of cancer.”
WHO’s new classifications put the meat is the same carcinogenic “group” as smoking—Does that mean they’re comparatively bad for us? WHO says no, calm down, they because they share a classification doesn’t mean they’re equally dangerous.
This article appears in Oct 22-28, 2015.
If this were true where have the EPA, the HHS, and the FDA been? They allowed it to be sold and consumed. Why?
Every aspect of our society/economy, from our Food Supply to Housing, has been transformed into commodities which are massed produced, marketed and sold, in the main, by multi-national Corporations whose raison d’etre is Profit: Food is “processed” so as to maximize “market value” at the expense of nutritional value; and, Property values are manipulated so as to require a period of “indentured servitude” to the economic system in order to “own” property; creating zones, as well, of “Affordable Public Housing” within inner Cities.
We have become totally dependent upon an Economy that supplies our every need….and like Native Americans: “From the time of the white man’s arrival, the Indian formed new tastes…but not the means of satisfying them…he grew dependent upon the Europeans, and became their lackey” (deBeaumont, 1835).
WAKE UP AMERICA!! “America will never be destroyed from the outside. If we falter and lose our freedoms, it will be because we destroyed ourselves.” Abraham Lincoln
An agency whose raison d’etre (thanks, Francis!) is scaring people about cancer, says more things cause cancer. Shocking! So, by looking at a specific set of studies that were conducted to find that eating meat has a link to cancer, these scientists have determined that eating meat can cause cancer. I hope they’ll use that same deductive power to figure out who Jack the Ripper was next.
“You can have my bacon when you can pry it from my cold dead fingers.”
More pseudo-science; not unlike man made global warming and so many other scare tactics. It is no wonder that so many distrust much of what is putout in the name of “science.”
In one way, I am pleased inasmuch as these ridiculous statements, which are largely based in ideology, will be the eventual death of dumb ideas such as reducing CO2 and methane emissions and that global warming is bad. It is natural, having occurred many times before, and good for all, in my view, as warmer climates enhance human well-being.
The question re: why U.S. regulatory agencies allow bad things to happen is relevant and deserves an answer.
The unfortunate answer is this: Because they are totally OWNED by industry, whether it’s the FDA and food safety, the EPA and pesticides, the BLM and fracking, Fish and Wildlife and endangered species, you name it. Due to the overbearing political power and influence of large corporations and wealthy interests in our totally dysfunctional political system, these regulatory agencies generally do what industry wants, rarely challenge industry profits or pursuits in any significant way, and generally fail to actually regulate them meaningfully and protect public health and safety.
It’s called “capitalism”, and it compromises and/or poisons pretty much everything in our modern world.
That said, I’m going to go make a BLT for lunch, with my hippie bacon that came from happy pigs and has no nitrites, nitrates, hormones, antibiotics, or any other profit-enhancing poison added to it. Yum.
If the hippie bacon still gives me cancer, welll…so be it.
But it is really not called capitalism. It is unethical people trying to survive off of prostituting capitalism for their own gain. Much like Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton live off of promoting racial aggravations. It’s how they can extort money from business. But once again capitalism itself is one of the victims. So are we.
Sharpton AND Jackson ? Really ? I’m confused now. Weren’t we talking about bacon ?
With names like that I thought we were talking cheese.
WHO? That is a great name for them.