The Truth About Deli Meats & Cancer
By Annie Gager, MS, RD
April 12th, 2024
A deli sandwich is the ultimate classic American lunch. For decades it seems we have been taught to pack a sandwich for lunch or we stop at Jimmy Johns, Subway, or sub shops with absolutely delicious sandwiches. I literally dream of a Jimmy John’s turkey sub with provolone, lettuce, tomato, mayo, and pickles. Processed meats like bacon, sausage, hot dogs, deli meat or pepperoni seem to be in everything. On our breakfast sandwich, on our subway sandwich, on pizza, or bacon on our salad. Why? Because they taste soooo good, but the truth is - deli meats and processed meats might have a greater health risk long term than just the added saturated fat and salt that make them delicious.
With cancer on the rise and more young people developing cancer younger and younger, it’s important we look at our diet and see where we can make some realistic changes to help promote health and longevity.
Nitrates in Fruits and Vegetables
Over the past few years, research has shown us nitrates are linked to increasing individuals' risk of developing cancer by increasing oxidative stress and free radical damage in the body. Nitrates are nitrogen-based compounds that are found naturally in our body and can come from the foods we eat, but are also added to deli meats and processed meats to prevent them from spoiling. Natural and manufactured nitrates have completely different effects in the human body. Healthy foods such as spinach, carrots, bok choy, lettuce, apples, bananas, grapes, and pears contain nitrates, buuuuut the health benefits of these foods actually outweigh any risk at all. These dark leafy green vegetables and fruits are great sources of vitamin C and/or antioxidants that actually work to reduce any cancer. Antioxidants work in the body to reverse oxidative stress and free radical damage in the body that can be caused by *cough cough* eating deli meats, a poor diet, smoking cigarettes, alcohol intake, or even certain medications. Not to mention, fruits and vegetables have so many health-promoting properties such as vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, fiber, and phytochemicals that all work to improve our health, strengthen our immune system, reduce inflammation, prevent DNA damage and promote DNA repair. So pretty much the nitrates found in fruits and vegetables have a greater health promoting effect than anything. So you definitely should be consuming all the fruits and veggies. Sorry if that's not what you wanted to hear (LOL)!
Nitrates in Processed Meats
So what’s the deal with deli/processed meats? In order for grocery stores to keep deli meat in containers for Lord know how long without them spoiling, they add nitrates to them as a preservative. Unlike fruits and vegetables with naturally occurring nitrates – nitrates added to deli meats are converted to nitrosamines in the stomach. Excessive nitrosamine exposure over long periods of time is associated with a significantly greater risk of developing cancer.
So what about nitrate-free deli meat? As of right now, there is no conclusive evidence to show us that nitrate-free deli meats increase or decrease our risk of cancer. However, we do know that excessive intake of sodium (high in deli meats) increases our risk of developing heart disease/stroke, and excessive meat consumption (specifically red meat) is associated with early mortality. With that being said, it is recommended that deli meat, processed meats, and red meat be limited in our diet to promote overall health.
Cancer Risk with Processed Meat
Eating 1 hot dog per day or 50 grams of processed meat increases our risk of developing colorectal cancer by 18% compared to eating none. The chemicals in processed meats (bacon, sausage, deli meat, etc) coat the colon and damage the cells. Then these cells duplicate and duplicate and duplicate. By 2040, experts estimate that new colorectal cancer diagnoses will increase to 3.2 million new cases per year (increase of 63%) and increase to 1.6 million deaths per year (increase of 73%).
Colorectal cancer used to be most prevalent in older adults, but both colorectal cancer screening and smoking cessation has been a major contributor to reducing the prevalence of cancer in this population. Since the 1990’s, the amount of young adults (under the age of 50) who develop colorectal cancer has nearly doubled. Colorectal cancer is the third most common type of cancer worldwide and the second leading cause of cancer-related deaths worldwide. So why are older people developing colorectal cancer LESS and young people are developing colorectal cancer MORE?
Knowledge is Power
It seems now we live in a world where convenience, quick meals, and take-out food is a common aspect of the typical American lifestyle. More families nowadays have two working parents, busy schedules and truly less time to spend cooking in the kitchen. I grew up going to Subway with my family several times a week because my parents were tired and busy and just didn’t have the energy to make dinner. Not to mention, getting a Sausage & Egg McMuffin is so easy and convenient because there’s a McDonalds literally every 5 miles. Fifty years ago, many families had a parent staying home making homemade meals, and deli/processed meats just were not as accessible. As we live in a world with what seems like less time, it is still important that we are able to make easy swaps in our diet to promote our health and longevity. I truly believe that knowledge is power. By understanding potential risks of eating specific foods, we are able to make better and more informed decisions on our diet/nutrition.
Do I still consume the occasional ham sandwich or bacon on a lazy Sunday morning? I sure do! But knowing that these foods can increase my risk of developing cancer is a scary fact. I don’t encourage you to live in fear, but instead make some easy and realistic changes. One of my favorite ways to enjoy deli sandwiches is to swap deli turkey meat for whole roasted turkey breast. Not only does it taste 10000x better, but it has no health risks associated!
The Easiest Roasted Turkey
It can be so intimidating cooking a whole turkey, but I promise you it is soooo easy. Of course follow the directions on the package, but it can be as easy as:
thaw in your fridge for 1-3 days
preheat oven to 350 degrees F
oil large shallow dish
place bird in dish and season with what you like
bake for specific amount of time depending on the birds weight (mine took 3.5 hours)
make sure the deepest part of the turkey (not touching the bone) is at least 165 degrees F and you’re done!
I did this last week and got so much turkey meat out of it that I’ve been having sourdough turkey sandwiches with avocado and arugula on repeat. 😜
References:
Morgan E, Arnold M, Gini A, Lorenzoni V, Cabasag CJ, Laversanne M, et al. “Global burden of colorectal cancer in 2020 and 2040: incidence and mortality estimates from GLOBOCAN.” Gut, 8 September 2022. http://dx.doi.org/10.1136/gutjnl-2022-327736
“Colorectal cancer” World Health Organization. 11 July 2023. https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/colorectal-cancer#:~:text=Key%20facts,people%20aged%2050%20and%20above.
Dharwadka P, Zaki TA, Murphy CC. “Colorectal cancer in younger adults.” Hematol Oncol Clin North Am, Volume 36, Issue 3, Page 449-470. 13 May 2020. DOI: 10.1016.j.hoc.2022.02.005
Hung WL, Wei CC. “Major phytochemicals: recent advances in health benefits and extraction method.” Molecules, Volume 28, Issue 2, Page 887, 16 January 2023. DOI: 10.3390/molecules28020887
Center for Disease Control and Prevention. “Sodium Intake and Health.” Last reviewed 6 June 2023. https://www.cdc.gov/salt/index.htm#:~:text=Eating%20too%20much%20sodium%20can,the%20health%20of%20your%20heart.
