A daily bacon sandwich increases risk of pancreatic cancer
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A daily bacon sandwich or a single sausage could increase your risk of pancreatic cancer by a fifth, according to new research.
Researchers at the Karolinska Institute in Sweden analysed studies involving over 6,000 people with the disease and, for the first time, found a link to the consumption of processed meat.
The Independent reports that pancreatic cancer has one of the poorest survival rates of any cancer, with almost 95 per cent of patients dying within five years.
The cancer, which Patrick Swayze died from in 2009, affects an average of only one in 77 men and one in 79 women during their lifetime. Around 8,090 people were diagnosed with the disease in the UK in 2008, and around 7,780 people died.
According to the Daily Mail, pancreatic cancer is often called 'the silent killer' because it often doesn't produce any symptoms in the early stages. Even when symptoms are present, they are often vague - such as back pain, loss of appetite and weight loss.
By the time it is diagnosed it is often too late to be treated effectively and only three per cent of patients live beyond five years.
Little is known about what causes it, but smoking, excess alcohol and being overweight are all thought to be risk factors.
Now it seems that eating just 50g of processed meat each day - the equivalent of just one sausage or two rashers of bacon - could increase risk by 19 per cent.
Eating 100g per day - a small burger - increases risk by 38 per cent, while 150g per day raises it by 57 per cent.
Unprocessed read meat, such as chops, steaks or joints, were found to increase a man's chance of getting the cancer, but not a woman's.
Previous research has linked consumption of red meat to bowel cancer and researchers say that the link is "biologically plausible" because nitrates used to preserve processed meats have been shown to cause pancreatic cancer in animals.
Sara Hiom, director of information at Cancer Research UK, said: "The jury is still out as to whether meat is a definite risk factor for pancreatic cancer and more large studies are needed. But this new analysis suggests processed meat may be playing a role."
However, researchers also found that the risk posed by eating meat was significantly lower than for smoking, which was found to increase the likelihood of pancreatic cancer by 74 per cent.
Do you eat processed meat every day? Let us know below...
Click on the image below to find out which foods can boost your immune system...
- Exercise regularly<p> Regular moderate exercise helps stimulate the lymphatic system which ensures the efficient removal of bodily toxins; in addition, exercise like cycling, jogging, walking or swimming can help you relax and reduces stress, which is also known to weaken your immunity. A study found that brisk walking for at least 20 minutes a day helped reduce chances of catching a cold. In addition to exercising, maintaining a healthy weight and avoiding high blood pressure are also beneficial for your immunity.</p> <div> </div>
- Wash your hands<p> So simple yet so effective, regular hand washing does play a role in reducing the spread of bacteria during cold and flu season (so it's important to keep it up even if your hands are <a href="http://lifestyle.aol.co.uk/2011/12/16/winter-skin-bargain-buys/" target="_self">dry and flaky from winter winds</a>). A study found that soap and water (and alcohol-based hand sanitisers) reduced the germ count on health care workers' hands by 58 per cent after 30 seconds of washing. Just note that while hand sanitiser does kill many bugs, it isn't very effective against norovirus, that nasty winter vomiting bug.</p> <p> </p> <div> </div>
- Get some rays<p> Scientists have found that vitamin D can be crucial in boosting the immune system, particularly in helping the body to fight off serious infections. Get a daily dose from the sun (even on a cloudy day) or in vitamin D-rich foods like eggs, salmon and mackerel.</p>
- Stop smoking<p> <span style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 12pt; ">If you're still not convinced it's time to stop smoking, cigarettes can also hinder your immunity because they affect the health of blood vessels, making it harder for the body to fight off infections. In addition, smoking puts you at a higher risk for respiratory infections.</span></p>
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