The World Health Organisation caused a panic last week when declaring bacon and other processed meats as carcinogens on the same level as tobacco.
But is bacon really as harmful as smoking?
Studies have already shown that smoking increases your risks of lung cancer by a whopping 2500%. Surely if bacon is as carcinogenic as tobacco then you'd expect a similar risk increase of colon cancer from bacon eating?
Well no actually. Eating two slices of bacon a day only increases your risk by 18%. That's increasing the risk from 5% of cases for anyone by 18% of that five percent. Essentially it's not (5+18), but rather (5 by 18%). So if you are a big bacon eater - like most people let's face it, it's delicious - then you have 6% chance of getting colon cancer.
That's hardly on the same level of health risk as smoking is it?
In fact, the classification itself isn't really classifying bacon on the same level as smoking. The announcement placed bacon and processed meats into the Group 1 category which means that there is confirmed increase in cancerous risk. Also in that group is alcohol and sunshine. An oncologist at Columbia , Alfred Neuget said of the increase risk in bacon:
If this is the level of risk you’re running your life on, then you don’t really have much to worry about.
The lesson is not to have a pack of bacon for every meal each day. Maybe cut down on the amount you consume to have a minimal effect, but you shouldn't worry about denying yourself.
But if you do worry about the chances of contracting colon cancer, there are many ways to reduce that risk without altering the amount of bacon you consume. Having 30-60 minutes of exercise each day is proven to reduce the risk by a huge 30% wiping out the effects of bacon. That's something people should be doing each day anyway - as well as some other easy ways to help put your mind at ease: eat lots of wholegrains and vegetables, watch your weight, and limit alcohol. It would also help if you didn't smoke.
So load up the treadmill with a stick of bacon, and get moving.
