Have you been eating processed meat without realizing it?

When it comes to a healthy diet, you don’t need to quit carbs or fat or even sugar.

但是您的营养师会建议您限制加工的肉。实际上，避免加工肉是最好的cancer prevention。

Research shows that eating even small amounts increases your risk forcolorectal cancer。

The problem is, processed meat is convenient – and it’s everywhere. But what qualifies as processed meat?

“Processed meat is any meat that has been preserved by salting or smoking,” says Debra Ruzensky, a clinical dietitian at MD Anderson. “As well as the well-known examples like hot dogs and bologna, it includes almost all deli meats used in sandwiches, bacon bits added to soups and salads, and sausage and pepperoni you find on pizzas.”

您可能还会发现培根用于意大利面酱和准备好的蔬菜菜肴中。

Processed meats contain carcinogens

加工的肉含有硝酸盐和亚硝酸盐，以保存肉并保持颜色。

硝酸盐和亚硝酸盐是在土壤，水和蔬菜中自然发现的化学物质。它们有助于消化，并在我们的唾液和血液中发现。

“Diets high in vegetables are good for health. But when nitrates and nitrites are added to processed meats and are exposed to heat, they become harmful,” says Ruzensky.

188bet体育网址研究表明，这些化学物质会损害结肠，导致细胞突变并形成肿瘤。肉通常在高温下煮熟，这也会产生致癌物。

“You’re essentially introducing carcinogens right into the tissue of the lower intestine,” says Ruzensky. “Eating 50 grams of processed meat per day将结直肠癌的风险增加16％。50克是一只热狗，或两片火腿。”

提防无硝酸盐的肉类

Nitrate-free or uncured meats still count as processed meat because they usually contain natural nitrates like celery powder.

如果食品生产商不包含人造硝酸盐，则可以标记一些硝酸盐，但没有研究表明天然硝酸盐更好。188bet体育网址

“就像葡萄糖来自蜂蜜而不是糖。消化时，您的身体既意识到葡萄糖。” Ruzensky说。“有硝酸盐，无论是否自然，它仍然是硝酸盐。”

Skip packaged turkey and chicken

Turkey and chicken are often recommended as healthy alternatives to red meat. But if they are preserved, they count as processed meats and are harmful.

烤鸡肉和在熟食店或熟食店柜台的烤火鸡可能添加了硝酸盐。土耳其培根也是。

“Turkey bacon is probably better from a cholesterol standpoint, but it’s still processed meat,” says Ruzensky. “I like the rotisserie chicken you buy fresh. They’ve cooked it there, it's seasoned on the outside, but it's not preserved.”

检查使用日期和成分

Still confused? The best way to check if your meat is processed is to check the use-by date.

Ruzensky说：“新鲜的肉不会像这些加工的肉类那样在冰箱里持续数周和数周。”“看一下数据包，并警惕几天比几天更长的到期日期。”

You can also check the ingredients.

“这些肉都有成分标签。如果您将盐视为第二成分，或者列出了芹菜粉，那是一种加工的肉。” Ruzensky说。

用新鲜的肉类或素食替代品代替加工过的肉

您可能会担心，如果没有加工的肉类和切成薄片的火鸡，三明治将是不一样的，但是有健康的选择。

Bake a turkey or chicken breast and slice it at home, or try tuna salad, egg salad or chicken salad.

Ruzensky说：“您也可以尝试使用鹰嘴豆泥或豆腐等不同的蛋白质。”“您可以在汤或辣椒中添加素食香肠，或使用草药和香料为任何菜肴增添风味。素食香肠不含硝酸盐或亚硝酸盐，但盐分仍然很高，因此仍然适度食用。”

随着时间的流逝，您的口味可能会发生变化，因此您更喜欢更少的咸食物。

“I'm not saying never eat a hot dog ever again, but it’s important to recognize that if you eat processed meat on a regular basis, your risk for cancer increases,” says Ruzensky. “It’s important to focus on fresh whole foods whenever you can.”

在线要求在MD Anderson举行约会或致电1-877-632-6789。