ByJERUSALEM POST STAFF
University of Washington researchers who reviewed more than seventy studies wrote that 'there is not a safe amount of processed meat consumption' for type 2 diabetes or colorectal cancer.
A meta-analysis in Nature Medicine warns that consuming the equivalent of one hot dog per day was associated with an 11 percent higher risk of type 2 diabetes and a 7 percent higher risk of colorectal cancer compared with people who ate no processed meat.
The study, led by Dr. Demewoz Haile at the University of Washington’s Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation, pooled results from more than 70 investigations that together followed millions of participants across several continents. Using a conservative “burden-of-proof” approach, the team found a steady rise in disease risk as processed-meat intake climbed. Daily servings ranging from 0.6 grams—a fraction of a slice of deli turkey—to 57 grams, the weight of a single hot dog, produced the same 11-percent diabetes increase and 7-percent colorectal-cancer increase.
The review also linked foods high in trans-fatty acids to a 3 percent rise in ischemic heart disease and tied consumption of one sugar-sweetened beverage per day to an 8 percent increase in diabetes and a 2 percent rise in heart disease. Ischemic heart disease, defined as reduced blood flow that deprives the heart of oxygen and nutrients, remained a leading cause of death worldwide.
“Individuals who regularly consume these foods, even in small amounts, should be aware of the increased risk of chronic diseases,” said Haile in an interview with Newsweek. He added that reliance on food-frequency questionnaires might have led the study to underestimate the true public-health impact.
“When we look at the actual data, we find that it is remarkably consistent and strong, and even with lower doses of consumption, we can still observe an increased risk of diseases,” said Dr. Mingyang Song, an associate professor of clinical epidemiology and nutrition at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, according to Asharq Al-Awsat.
Not every researcher agreed that the findings proved causation. “These are associations — not necessarily causal relationships,” said Dr. Nick Norwitz, a clinical researcher and metabolic-health educator, in comments to Fox News Digital. He noted that the evidence was graded as weak by the authors and argued that processed meats vary widely in preparation methods.
Industry representatives also questioned the conclusions. A spokesperson for the American Association of Meat Processors pointed out that the paper cited “weak relationships or inconsistent input evidence” and requested a clearer definition of processed meat. Haile’s team responded that the category included any meat preserved by smoking, curing, salting, or chemical preservatives.
Health officials said the direction of the research supported existing advice to limit processed meat. “The findings reinforce current dietary guidelines,” said Dr. Nita Forouhi of the University of Cambridge in an interview with CNN.
The paper acknowledged that ultra-processed foods can lengthen shelf life and improve accessibility in regions with limited fresh produce. Still, “there is no safe level of habitual consumption of these food groups, so they should not be included in our daily diet,” Haile told the New York Post.
Other experts favored a more flexible approach. “The goal shouldn’t be perfection, but rather a healthy and sensible dietary pattern that allows room for enjoyment,” said Professor Gunter Kuhnle, a nutrition scientist, in remarks to CNN.