An influential new study by the World Health Organization has placed processed meats in the same category of cancer risk as asbestos and smoking cigarettes.
According to CNN, “The WHO’s cancer research unit now classifies processed meat as ‘carcinogenic to humans’ based on evidence from hundreds of studies, and linked it specifically to colon, or colorectal, cancer. The report outlined that simply eating 50 grams of processed meat each day – the equivalent of two slices of ham – can increase the risk of such cancer by 18%.
The WHO estimates that diets high in processed meats cause 34,000 cancer deaths per year worldwide and has found that even unprocessed red meats like beef, veal, lamb, and pork are “probably carcinogenic.
However, the health risks of a meat-heavy diet are no secret. For years, doctors have warned about the correlation between processed and red meats and disease.
Past studies corroborate the correlation between meat consumption and an increased risk of colon cancer. One study found that compared to women who ate one serving of red meat a week, women who ate 1.5 servings of red meat a day had a 22 percent greater risk of developing breast cancer. And researchers from Harvard have revealed that an increase in red meat consumption is directly related to an increased risk of diabetes.
As if the threat of cancer and diabetes weren’t enough; animals on modern farms are treated like unfeeling objects, and their short lives are filled with misery and deprivation.
See for yourself:
The decision to eat a vegan diet is not only great for your health, it’s also the most compassionate choice you can make to help animals who live tortured lives on factory farms.
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