Nearly 4,000 people develop cancer each year linked to their consumption of charcuterie in France.
Should we stop eating charcuterie? One report of the World Cancer Research Fund shows that we should at least reduce our consumption. According to the analyses, eating 50 grams of deli meats a day would increase the risk of suffering from colorectal cancer by 16%. However, a slice of ham weighs between 25 and 50 grams.
40,000 colorectal cancers each year in France
In 2018, the international cancer research center (IARC) estimated that 3,880 colorectal cancers were attributable to charcuterie in 2015 in France. The IARC has classified these products as group 1 carcinogens, the same section as tobacco. The disease is caused by the growth of a tumor on the walls of the colon and rectum. If diagnosed at an early stage, it can be cured in 9 out of 10 cases. In total, 40,000 people are affected each year.
In the Sunday newspaper, Denis Corpet, former director of research at INRA, confirms the links between cancer and charcuterie. “There is only one scientific certainty: eating cold cuts is carcinogenic, he says. The most likely hypothesis is that nitrites, that is to say the additives which give it its pink color in particular, are the cause.” According to him, the iron contained in these products mixes with other molecules during digestion. This process leads to the creation of nitrosamines, carcinogenic chemical compounds. “For an individual, the risk of developing colorectal cancer due to their consumption of processed meat remains low, but this risk increases with the amount of meat consumed,” says IARC member Dr Kurt Straif. Science and Future.
The younger generation on the right track?
According to works from the Research Center for the Study and Observation of Living Conditions (Crédoc), the French consumed an average of 29 grams of charcuterie per day in 2017, compared to 35 grams in 2007. In 2017, 25-34 year olds said they ate 27 grams of charcuterie per day, 65-74 year olds consume 7 grams more daily. In both cases, these consumption levels remain above the recommendations. the High Council for Public Health encourages you not to exceed 150 grams of charcuterie per week.
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