You might have seen the announcement the World Health Organization (WHO) made the other day.

The announcement sent giant ripples throughout the land as they declared bacon is a problematic carcinogen.

The press release didn’t single out just bacon though. Other processed meats like hot dogs, sausages, along with veal, red meat, goat (and more) were also indicted as being cancer-causing agents.

The research was published in the medical journal, The Lancet, and was compiled by a group of 22 scientists who spent time reviewing other studies which they claim showed clear evidence eating red meat and processed meats led to a higher risk of colorectal cancer.

It’s not the first time we’ve seen studies like this published, so personally, I wouldn’t say there’s any reason to panic.

But some people are…and that’s unfortunate.

This whole press-release has inspired some pretty crazy reactions. In fact, it’s being reported states like California are already looking into putting warning labels on packaged meats.

The same kind you’d see on cigarettes.

The Huffington Post wrote about this:

“The World Health Organization has put these meats in the same category as cigarettes in terms of the death and danger they deliver,” Stephanie Feldstein, population and sustainability director with the Center for Biological Diversity, said in a statement sent to The Huffington Post. “Now, California must follow suit with public health warnings on the label. And it’s no surprise: the science has been clear that these meats are bad for people, not to mention for wildlife and the planet.

I think that’s overreacting a tad.

Without a doubt, processed meats can be problematic.

Especially when your diet consists primarily of processed meat and other processed foods.

And, if you eat processed meats loaded with preservatives and chemical additives then that likely enhances your risk of certain diseases.

However, when you’re smart and do your best to maintain a healthy diet (the kind I talk about here, and here) then you’re doing your body a huge favor…one, which in my opinion, would allow you to enjoy bacon completely guilt-free.

Of course that comes with some caveats.

Bacon is high in sodium, so that’s a good reason not to load up on it everyday.

But, at the end of the day, I agree with people like Barry Carpenter and others who believe enjoying bacon as a part of balanced diet isn’t a bad thing.

Not in the way cigarettes are.

Carpenter, who serves as the president of the North American Meat Institute said in a statement, “scientific evidence shows cancer is a complex disease not caused by single foods and that a balanced diet and healthy lifestyle choices are essential to good health.”

And, while someone who’s the president of the North American Meat Institute stands to lose a great deal of business if bacon is regulated like cigarettes…he’s not wrong.

Perhaps the most bizarre thing about this announcement and ones like it is how many times researchers ignore the positive benefits associated with foods like bacon.

I actually wrote an article about that. Read it here, and whenever someone tells you bacon’s going to kill you, chuckle lightly, and inform them how wrong they are.

Talk soon,

Dr. Wiggy
www.HealthAsItOughtToBe.com