Salty and fatty processed meats such as ham are often served at the table because they are easy to prepare.
Cooking researcher Lee Hye-jung, 70 years old, also said recently while shopping for groceries on her YouTube channel, “Ham is the most delicious food in the world to me.” Here is a look at how frequently eating processed meats such as Spam can affect the body.
◇Frequent consumption of processed meat requires caution
Processed meat refers to food that has been processed to enhance its flavor or shelf life, such as by salting, curing, smoking, or fermenting meat. The International Agency for Research on Cancer, IARC, under the World Health Organization, WHO, lists not only ham, sausages, and dried meat but also canned meat as examples of processed meat.
The association between consuming processed meat and colorectal cancer has been observed relatively consistently. IARC classified processed meat consumption as carcinogenic to humans and estimated, based on its analysis, that eating 50g of processed meat every day increases the relative risk of colorectal cancer by approximately 18%.
Several mechanisms have been proposed to explain the association between processed meat and colorectal cancer. IARC explains that nitrites and nitrates used during the curing process, as well as heme iron in the meat itself, may contribute to the production of harmful substances in the body. Some harmful substances are also produced during cooking at high temperatures.
◇Saltiness is also a problem… Eating too much sodium strains blood pressure
Canned ham products tend to have high sodium content, although this varies by product. WHO identifies processed meat as a representative processed food high in sodium, and consuming too much sodium can raise blood pressure and increase the long-term risk of cardiovascular disease. For this reason, WHO recommends limiting adults’ sodium intake to less than 2000mg per day. This is equivalent to less than 5g of salt per day.
In fact, reducing sodium intake has been shown to lower blood pressure. Based on multiple clinical studies, WHO explains that reducing sodium intake among adults significantly lowers blood pressure and helps reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease, stroke, and coronary artery disease.
Saturated fat should also be considered. Some processed meats are high in fat and increase saturated fat intake. Eating too much saturated fat raises blood LDL cholesterol, and persistently high LDL cholesterol increases the risk of cardiovascular disease.
◇If you want to eat it, have it occasionally and reduce the portion rather than making it an everyday side dish
There is no need to completely give up ham, but it is better to reduce the frequency and amount of consumption rather than making processed meat a frequently eaten side dish. The American Heart Association, AHA, also recommends prioritizing fish, legumes, and unprocessed lean meat over processed meat as sources of protein.
When eating it, it is better to serve only a small amount rather than eating a large portion at once, and to avoid pairing it in the same meal with other foods high in sodium, such as soup, stew, or kimchi. When choosing products, comparing the sodium and saturated fat content on the nutrition facts label and selecting a relatively lower-content product is another option.
Cooking researcher Lee Hye-jung, 70 years old, also said recently while shopping for groceries on her YouTube channel, “Ham is the most delicious food in the world to me.” Here is a look at how frequently eating processed meats such as Spam can affect the body.
◇Frequent consumption of processed meat requires caution
Processed meat refers to food that has been processed to enhance its flavor or shelf life, such as by salting, curing, smoking, or fermenting meat. The International Agency for Research on Cancer, IARC, under the World Health Organization, WHO, lists not only ham, sausages, and dried meat but also canned meat as examples of processed meat.
The association between consuming processed meat and colorectal cancer has been observed relatively consistently. IARC classified processed meat consumption as carcinogenic to humans and estimated, based on its analysis, that eating 50g of processed meat every day increases the relative risk of colorectal cancer by approximately 18%.
Several mechanisms have been proposed to explain the association between processed meat and colorectal cancer. IARC explains that nitrites and nitrates used during the curing process, as well as heme iron in the meat itself, may contribute to the production of harmful substances in the body. Some harmful substances are also produced during cooking at high temperatures.
◇Saltiness is also a problem… Eating too much sodium strains blood pressure
Canned ham products tend to have high sodium content, although this varies by product. WHO identifies processed meat as a representative processed food high in sodium, and consuming too much sodium can raise blood pressure and increase the long-term risk of cardiovascular disease. For this reason, WHO recommends limiting adults’ sodium intake to less than 2000mg per day. This is equivalent to less than 5g of salt per day.
In fact, reducing sodium intake has been shown to lower blood pressure. Based on multiple clinical studies, WHO explains that reducing sodium intake among adults significantly lowers blood pressure and helps reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease, stroke, and coronary artery disease.
Saturated fat should also be considered. Some processed meats are high in fat and increase saturated fat intake. Eating too much saturated fat raises blood LDL cholesterol, and persistently high LDL cholesterol increases the risk of cardiovascular disease.
◇If you want to eat it, have it occasionally and reduce the portion rather than making it an everyday side dish
There is no need to completely give up ham, but it is better to reduce the frequency and amount of consumption rather than making processed meat a frequently eaten side dish. The American Heart Association, AHA, also recommends prioritizing fish, legumes, and unprocessed lean meat over processed meat as sources of protein.
When eating it, it is better to serve only a small amount rather than eating a large portion at once, and to avoid pairing it in the same meal with other foods high in sodium, such as soup, stew, or kimchi. When choosing products, comparing the sodium and saturated fat content on the nutrition facts label and selecting a relatively lower-content product is another option.