Deli meat carcinogenic - really?

[daveh0]

So I just heard something to the effect of sliced meats that you get from the deli (or deli counter at the grocery store) causing cancer due to some bacteria that is formed while they are being digested. Can this really be accurate? I love my Boars Head - huge variety of chicken and turkey "flavors". I've honestly been eating these several meals per week for 20+ years. A miracle I'm still alive? Seriously though, is this something I should consider cutting *way* back on?

I *also* heard that pairing these meats with Vitamin C can help prevent that bacteria form growing. If this is the case, I"m wondering if it s "safe" to go on eating them with my normal frequency as long as I have an orange as part of the meal. Or does it take more Vitamin C that just an orange... would a Vitamin C vitamin/supplement be better? I also wonder how effective it is... like is it safe to say that the bacteria absolutely *cannot* form/grow in the presence of Vitamin C or does it just reduce the likelihood, cutting your chances of getting cancer by a fraction but not actually protecting you by any means?

So many questions. If anyone in the know would care to shed some light on the subject for me, I'd be most appreciative. Thanks!

[scimike]

All I know is that deli meat is not healthy. They put a lot of bad stuff in it.

[daveh0]

All I know is that deli meat is not healthy. They put a lot of bad stuff in it.

What "Bad stuff" are you referring to? i know there are small amounts of nitrates and nitrites, small enough that they can say "nitrate/nitrite free" in them that then change chemical structure (or something like that) when broken down and become "bad stuff", but it my my understanding that beyond that, it's just a bunch of salt water and sometimes some artificial coloring (which I suppose isn't "good stuff"). What else?

I still just can't believe it's been shown to cause cancer!

[scimike]

https://www.nytimes.com/2018/12/14/w...d-for-you.html

[scimike]

Is Eating Deli Meat Really That Bad for You?


Even small amounts of processed meat increase the risk of colorectal cancer.

Q. Is eating deli meats really that bad? Does it make a difference if it’s organic, nitrate-free or uncured?

A. Meat and poultry are excellent sources of protein, B vitamins and certain minerals, but consuming even small amounts of processed meat increases the risk of colorectal cancer.

https://www.nytimes.com/2018/12/14/w...d-for-you.html

[Oddity]

This looks like a copy/paste from another website. Per our posting guidelines, can you please edit this and add a link to the source of this information and trim it down to not include all the text on the source page (if it does). Thanks.