How to Be a Conscious Eater

with similar caution since the American Institute for Cancer

Research (AICR) puts them in the same boat. Americans tend

to consume such a relatively small amount of smoked salmon

and the like that the association isn’t as clear in the research

data. I’m afraid that, for now, this is one of those “more research

is needed” moments. But the AICR also notes that preserving

foods in general through salting (including pickled vegetables)

increases the risk of stomach cancer, and one study of a spe-

cific type of cured fish—Cantonese-style salted fish—found an

increased risk of nasopharyngeal cancer.

Even though eating poultry or fish instead of red meat

might help protect against some cancers, and even though it’s

the red meats that pose additional concerns, opting for turkey

bacon over pork bacon or chicken sausage over beef sausage or

smoked whitefish over roast beef doesn’t necessarily get you

off the hook. The reason is that the root issue is the processing,

PROCESSED MEATS: CONSUME WITH CAUTION

According to the World Health Organization, eating processed

meat causes cancer.

HOT DOGS JARRED MEAT SAUCES

HAM

BACON

SAUSAGE

SALAMI

CORNED

BEEF

BEEF JERKY

CANNED

MEAT

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