This entry is going to discuss lunch meats, and the health concerns surrounding their consumption. Personally, I love a good roast beef or turkey sandwich. However, after researching this topic, I have decreased the amount of lunch meat my husband and I consume. I also am very careful about where I purchase my meat, as well as what kind of meat we eat.
Lunch meats and processed meats such as hot dogs and spam, are cooked at very high temperatures. Because of this, they contain an elevated level of carcinogens. Most lunch meats contain nitrates and nitrites (preservatives), both of which are also potent carcinogens. Read the labels! They preserve the colors of the meats. That is why, often times, roast beef looks rare when it is actually cooked. Nitrates/nitrites do inhibit botulism to some degree. However, these preservatives are linked to cancers of the esophagus, stomach, large intestines, bladder, pancreas, and lungs. They are also used in smoked and barbecued meats. If you like these types of foods, then eat them sparingly.
A study in the JAMA (2005 Jan 12; 293 (2); 1720173) noted that people with COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disorder) that ate 14 servings of processed meats per month scored lower on tests of lung function. Colorectal cancers were 50% more likely as well. The babies of mothers who ate a lot of cured meats during pregnancy were more likely to develop brain tumors.
Well, what can you do if you just can't pass up that cold cut trio? Look for nitrate/nitrite free meats. If I get lunch meat, I usually purchase it from the deli at the health food store. Be careful, though, the shelf life of that meat is usually about 4 days. It needs to be eaten soon. Also, Oscar Meyer has a natural turkey lunchmeat. I prefer the deli meats, though.
For more information check out Nourishing Traditions.
--There is an abundant amount of nutritional information here. I don't agree with all of it, but it is a place to start.
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