If you eat a lot of processed meat, you could be raising your risk of death related to cancer and heart disease, a new study says.
Researchers from Zurich University tested nearly 450,000 people in 10 different countries and found those who ate the most processed meat increased their risk of dying early by 44%. In broader terms, if people ate less processed meat, the number of premature deaths overall would drop by almost 3 percent, Swiss researchers reported.
Researcher said eating a lot of processed meat also increased the risk of death from heart disease by 72% and cancer by 11%. However, researchers did not find an association between poultry consumption and increased risk of premature death.
Health experts say there are health benefits to processed meats, including vitamins and nutrients such as protein, iron, zinc, vitamins A and B, essential fatty acids. However, they warned like everything, moderation is key.
