Eating bacon and sausages ‘increases a woman’s risk of breast cancer’, experts warn – The Sun

Women who consumed a lot of processed meat were 9 per cent more likely to develop the disease.

Experts suggest limiting bacon, sausages and salami to just 70g a day – equal to two rashers.

The World Health Organisation has previously warned processed meat can cause cancer in humans.

But it has mainly been linked to an increased risk in bowel cancer.

Now boffins from Harvard University warn it is also linked to a heightened risk of breast cancer.

They reviewed 15 previous studies on the subject, covering 1.25million women.

Those eating the most processed meat were 9 per cent more likely to suffer than those eating least.

The nature of the analysis means it is not possible to say what these thresholds are.

But one previous study suggested as little as 9g a day – or three rashers a week – is risky.

Processed meat includes products that have been salted, cured, fermented or smoked.

Chemicals used in the treatment process are thought to be to blame.

Study leader Maryam Farvid said: “This review provides evidence that higher consumption of processed meat is associated with higher risk of breast cancer.”

Dr Gunter Kuhnle, from the University of Reading, said: “While the evidence for classifying processed meat as a carcinogen is strong, the actual risk to the individual is very small.”

Around 55,100 women are diagnosed with breast cancer in the UK each year and 11,600 die from it.

The team also reviewed studies on unprocessed red meat and found no significant link to breast cancer.

It comes as other studies have linked chips and other starchy foods like pizza and toast to killer cancers.

And one in five packets of crisps were found to contain dangerously high levels of cancer-causing chemicals.
The new findings are published in the International Journal of Cancer.

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