For each 1.75 ounces (50 grams) of processed meats such as bacon, ham or sausage that were eaten, the risk rose by 18%.
“Processed meat appears to be worse for coronary heart disease,” said study coauthor Anika Knüppel, a nutritional epidemiologist at the University of Oxford’s department of population health.
“This is in line with what has been found for bowel cancer, where processed meat has been shown to be associated with higher increase in risk than red meat,” Knüppel said.
Nine to 18% doesn’t sound like that much of a risk? It might if you consider few people eat less than 2 ounces of red or processed meat at any meal.
Take a restaurant dinner of a typical cut of beef as an example. Filets, sirloins, strip and rib eye steaks eaten at a steakhouse can weight between 9 and 12 ounces (255 to 340 grams). That means you could easily consume about 5 to 7 ounces (142 to 198 grams) of beef in a single meal. Did you have bacon for breakfast? Your risk is even higher.
No issue with poultry
The report also delivered some good news for carnivores: There didn’t appear to be a link between eating poultry, such as chicken and turkey, and an increased risk of coronary heart disease.
Considered lean meats, most types of poultry do not contain the levels of saturated fat as found in red meat, nor the high levels of sodium that are part of processed meats. Saturated fat plays a major role in the development of plaque on the walls of the arteries, a key contributor to the blockages associated with coronary heart disease. Sodium can raise blood pressure, also restricting the flow of blood to the heart.
Switch to a plant-based diet
The DASH diet is often recommended to lower blood pressure. Its premise is simple: Eat more veggies, fruits and low-fat dairy foods while cutting way back on any food high in saturated fat and limit your intake of salt.
The meal plan includes three whole-grain products each day, four to six servings of vegetables, four to six servings of fruit, two to four servings of dairy products and several servings each of lean meats and nuts/seeds/legumes.
The diet features simple, plant-based cooking, with the majority of each meal focused on fruits and vegetables, whole grains, beans and seeds, with a few nuts and a heavy emphasis on extra-virgin olive oil. Say goodbye to refined sugar and flour except on rare occasions. Fats other than olive oil, such as butter, are consumed rarely, if at all.
Meat can make a rare appearance, usually only to flavor a dish. Instead, meals may include eggs, dairy and poultry, but in much smaller portions than in the traditional Western diet. Fish, however, are a staple.
Want to make the Mediterranean diet one of your goals this year? Get started by cooking one meal each week based on beans, whole grains and vegetables, using herbs and spices to add punch. When one night a week is a breeze, add two, and build your nonmeat meals from there.