Local doctor talks new report on processed, cancerous meats

The World Health Organization says if you fill up on processed foods like bacon, sausage and hot dogs you face a real risk of colon, stomach and other cancers. Doctors have long warned against eating too much meat, but this new report goes a step farther.

“This is the first time the World Health Organization or any other organization has come out strongly and said processed meats are a carcinogen. That’s the big news,” said Dr. Scott Gering, a colorectal surgeon at Eisenhower Medical Center.

Backed by hundreds of studies, the report says simply eating 50 grams of processed meat each day, the equivalent of two slices of ham, can increase your risk of cancer by almost 20 percent.

It also add that grilling, pan frying or cooking red meat at high temperatures produces the highest amounts of chemicals, suspected to cause cancer.

The study fired up the meat industry, it calls the report “dramatic and alarmist” and argues that cancer is a complex disease “not caused by single foods.”

Gering said a balanced diet, annual screenings and moderation are key.

“Any dietary maneuver should be lived by everything in moderation. A little bit is OK, but you should be careful. You shouldn’t be eating a pound of bacon every day,” he said. “Try to eat lean meats, try to stay away from fat meats and take the petite cut.”