An influential new study by the World Health Organization
has placed processed meats in the same category of cancer risk as asbestos and
smoking cigarettes.
According to CNN,
“The WHO’s cancer research unit now classifies processed meat as ‘carcinogenic
to humans’ based on evidence from hundreds of studies, and linked it
specifically to colon, or colorectal, cancer. The report outlined that simply
eating 50 grams of processed meat each day – the equivalent of two slices of
ham – can increase the risk of such cancer by 18%.
The WHO estimates that diets high in processed meats cause
34,000 cancer deaths per year worldwide and has found that even unprocessed
red meats like beef, veal, lamb, and pork are “probably carcinogenic.
However, the health risks of a meat-heavy diet are no
secret. For years, doctors have warned about the correlation between processed
and red meats and disease.
Past
studies corroborate the correlation between meat consumption and an
increased risk of colon cancer. One study found that compared to women who ate
one serving of red meat a week, women who ate 1.5 servings of red meat a day
had a 22 percent greater
risk of developing breast cancer. And researchers from Harvard have
revealed that an increase in red meat consumption is directly related to an increased
risk of diabetes.
As if the threat of cancer and diabetes weren’t enough; animals on modern farms are treated like unfeeling objects, and their short
lives are filled with misery and deprivation.
See for yourself:
The decision to eat a vegan diet is not only great for your health, it’s also
the most compassionate choice you can make to help animals who live tortured
lives on factory farms.
Click here to
order your FREE Vegetarian Starter Guide.