Bad News for Bacon Lovers as Processed Meats Linked to Cancer

Bad news for bacon lovers after the World Health Organization announced that processed meats cause cancer. The report also labelled red meat as risky and probably carcinogenic if consumed in large quantities over time. As little as two slices of bacon a day can increase the risk of colorectal cancer by 18 percent, according to the study. The WHO did stress that there are also many health benefits to meat consumption, but preserving techniques such as salting, smoking, frying or curing meats do increase health risks. Estimates have linked around 34,000 cancer deaths a year to diets high in processed meat products. The numbers are still small compared to cancers caused by alcohol and smoking, which have been blamed for over a million deaths a year.