Health and Me

Itisha Arya

This Popular Christmas Food Could Raise Your Risk of Cancer And Heart Attack

christmas food heart attack

Millions of people are stocking up on food for Christmas, planning the main meal and everything that comes with the festive stretch. What many do not realise is that there is a proven link between cancer and one much-loved item that often sits on the Christmas Day plate. 

While sugar is often blamed for causing cancer, that belief is not supported by evidence. In fact, only two foods have a confirmed, direct link to cancer: alcohol and processed meat. And popular pigs in blankets clearly fall into the processed meat category.

<h2>Popular Christmas Food Could Raise Your Risk of Cancer And Heart Attack</h2>

To be clear, no one is saying that eating pigs in blankets on Christmas Day will give you cancer, just as no one suggests that a single glass of wine or sherry will lead to a diagnosis. That said, recent scientific evidence shows there is no truly safe level of alcohol consumption. In a recent report, Vivek Murthy, former surgeon general of the US Public Health Service, warned that alcohol use has been directly linked to at least seven different types of cancer, and that even light or moderate drinking can raise a person’s cancer risk.

As per Mirror, both processed meat and alcohol are classified as Group 1 carcinogens by the World Health Organisation, which means there is clear evidence they can cause cancer in humans. According to the WHO, “There is convincing evidence that the agent causes cancer.” Tobacco smoking and asbestos are also listed as Group 1 carcinogens, although the organisation clarifies that this does not mean alcohol and processed meat are as dangerous as smoking or asbestos. 

Cancer Research UK also states clearly, “We know for certain that processed meat causes cancer. We are as confident about this link as we are about other established causes of cancer, such as tobacco and alcohol.”

<h2>What Is Processed Meat?</h2>The World Health Organisation defines processed meat as “meat that has been transformed through salting, curing, fermentation, smoking, or other processes to enhance flavour or improve preservation.” Sausages and bacon are commonly cited examples by both the WHO and Cancer Research UK.

Cancer Research UK explains that processed meats contain chemicals that are either added during processing or formed during cooking. These include nitrates and nitrites, which help keep processed meat fresh for longer. The organisation notes, “When we consume them, nitrates and nitrites can turn into N-nitroso chemicals (NOCs), which can damage the cells lining the bowel. This damage can increase the risk of bowel cancer.”

Alcohol increases cancer risk through biological processes that occur as it is broken down in the body. This means that any alcoholic drink, regardless of how expensive, high-quality, or mild it may seem, carries a cancer risk. There is no safe threshold for drinking alcohol. The WHO says cancer risk “rises significantly the more alcohol is consumed,” but also points out that “the latest available data show that around half of all alcohol-related cancers are caused by ‘light’ and ‘moderate’ drinking,” defined as less than 1.5 litres of wine, less than 3.5 litres of beer, or under 450 millilitres of spirits per week.

<h2>Processed Meat And Heart Disease</h2>

In 2021, researchers at Oxford University reported that the “largest review of all large-scale studies to date shows red and processed meat increase the risk of heart disease.”

Worldwide, coronary heart disease causes nearly nine million deaths each year, making it the leading cause of death globally. Scientists from the University of Oxford’s Nuffield Department of Population Health said their analysis “showed that each additional 50g per day of processed meat, such as bacon, ham, or sausages, was linked to an 18% higher risk of coronary heart disease.”

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Millions of people are stocking up on food for Christmas, planning the main meal and everything that comes with the festive stretch. What many do not realise is that there is a proven link between cancer and one much-loved item that often sits on the Christmas Day plate. While sugar is often blamed for causing cancer, that belief is not supported by evidence. In fact, only two foods have a confirmed, direct link to cancer: alcohol and processed meat. And popular pigs in blankets clearly fall into the processed meat category.Popular Christmas Food Could Raise Your Risk of Cancer And Heart AttackTo be clear, no one is saying that eating pigs in blankets on Christmas Day will give you cancer, just as no one suggests that a single glass of wine or sherry will lead to a diagnosis. That said, recent scientific evidence shows there is no truly safe level of alcohol consumption. In a recent report, Vivek Murthy, former surgeon general of the US Public Health Service, warned that alcohol use has been directly linked to at least seven different types of cancer, and that even light or moderate drinking can raise a person’s cancer risk.As per Mirror, both processed meat and alcohol are classified as Group 1 carcinogens by the World Health Organisation, which means there is clear evidence they can cause cancer in humans. According to the WHO, “There is convincing evidence that the agent causes cancer.” Tobacco smoking and asbestos are also listed as Group 1 carcinogens, although the organisation clarifies that this does not mean alcohol and processed meat are as dangerous as smoking or asbestos. Cancer Research UK also states clearly, “We know for certain that processed meat causes cancer. We are as confident about this link as we are about other established causes of cancer, such as tobacco and alcohol.”What Is Processed Meat?The World Health Organisation defines processed meat as “meat that has been transformed through salting, curing, fermentation, smoking, or other processes to enhance flavour or improve preservation.” Sausages and bacon are commonly cited examples by both the WHO and Cancer Research UK.Cancer Research UK explains that processed meats contain chemicals that are either added during processing or formed during cooking. These include nitrates and nitrites, which help keep processed meat fresh for longer. The organisation notes, “When we consume them, nitrates and nitrites can turn into N-nitroso chemicals (NOCs), which can damage the cells lining the bowel. This damage can increase the risk of bowel cancer.”Why Does Alcohol Cause Cancer?Alcohol increases cancer risk through biological processes that occur as it is broken down in the body. This means that any alcoholic drink, regardless of how expensive, high-quality, or mild it may seem, carries a cancer risk. There is no safe threshold for drinking alcohol. The WHO says cancer risk “rises significantly the more alcohol is consumed,” but also points out that “the latest available data show that around half of all alcohol-related cancers are caused by ‘light’ and ‘moderate’ drinking,” defined as less than 1.5 litres of wine, less than 3.5 litres of beer, or under 450 millilitres of spirits per week.Processed Meat And Heart DiseaseIn 2021, researchers at Oxford University reported that the “largest review of all large-scale studies to date shows red and processed meat increase the risk of heart disease.”Worldwide, coronary heart disease causes nearly nine million deaths each year, making it the leading cause of death globally. Scientists from the University of Oxford’s Nuffield Department of Population Health said their analysis “showed that each additional 50g per day of processed meat, such as bacon, ham, or sausages, was linked to an 18% higher risk of coronary heart disease.”