In 2011, several studies found that people who eat red meat have an increased risk of developing a stroke. But evidence shows that effect may be due to processed red meat, such as bacon, hot dogs and deli meats, rather than fresh meat like beef and lamb.

One study involving Swedish women, which was published in 2011 in the journal Stroke, found a link between processed meat consumption and stroke, but also demonstrated that “fresh (unprocessed) meat consumption was not associated with total stroke or with any stroke subtype.”

More than 34,000 women from the Swedish Mammography Cohort study were evaluated. None of the women had heart disease before the study began in 1997. The average follow-up was about 10 years, and participants completed self-administered diet questionnaires. The researchers noted that previous studies have demonstrated a link between processed meat consumption and diabetes, which is a key risk factor for heart disease and stroke.

Another 2011 study from Sweden, published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, involved more than 40,000 men ages 45 to 79 with no history of heart disease. The men’s diets were tracked for about 10 years. The researchers noted that while there is increasing evidence linking processed meat consumption and heart disease, prior to this study, the data regarding stroke was more limited. Based on their findings, they concluded that  “Consumption of processed meat, but not of fresh meat, was positively associated with risk of stroke.”.

Other health issues

An analysis of 20 studies involving more than 1 million adults from 10 different countries was featured in the journal Circulation in 2010. The researchers found that eating as little as 2 ounces of processed meat per day (the equivalent of a couple strips of bacon) increased the risk of heart disease by 42 percent. Risk of diabetes was increased by 19 percent.

 “Processed meats are worse for heart health because they not only contain saturated fat, but they are also loaded with preservatives like nitrates that are carcinogenic; sodium that can increase blood pressure; and other fillers, colorings and preservatives that are in general not good for the heart or our overall health,” explains Sherry Torkos, a holistic pharmacist, coauthor of Saving Women’s Hearts (Wiley, 2011) and a Wellness Times editorial advisor. 

The negative health implications of these foods go beyond heart disease, and there is increasing concern about their impact on children’s health. Michael Murray, ND, coauthor of The Encyclopedia of Healing Foods (Atria Books, 2005) and a Wellness Times editorial advisor, has concerns about the cancer-causing effects of processed meats.

"While this research [on heart disease] in adults makes a convincing argument for avoiding processed meats, even more compelling is the evidence linking consumption of these foods to a significantly increased risk of the major childhood cancers such as leukemias, lymphomas and brain cancers,” he says. “For example, children who eat three hot dogs per week have nearly 10 times the risk of leukemia compared to children who do not eat hot dogs. This data is significant as these cancers are still the major killer of kids."

Both Murray and Torkos agree that processed meats should be avoided whenever possible.