lakeesha Hennessy Williams answered
I don't think everyone is well aware that lunch meats aren't exactly good for us- but how much they actually affect our health is a good question.
I've been doing some research into the subject because, as a big fan of salami and cured ham, I'm curious to know what all that processed meat is doing to my insides.
How bad is lunch meat?
I'm guilty of eating deli meats/lunch meats/cold cuts (or whatever you want to call them).
They are useful when you just want to make a quick sandwich, and they can taste really great too.
But there are also quite a few health concerns associated with them too:
The main concern people have about lunch meat is all the 'extra stuff' that goes in them. By 'extra stuff' I mean anything that's not meat. And people are right to be concerned!
One big keyword is 'sodium nitrate'. This is a substance that is often linked to cancer, and the reason it might be found in your processed meat product is because it adds flavor, and also prevents bacteria from growing.
The negatives of deli meats
The list of worrying substances is actually pretty long - anything from gelatin to MSG could be in your luncheon or deli meat. Funnily enough, 10% of most deli meat is actually made up of water too!
On the bright side, not all lunch meats are the same. There's a big difference between:
I've been doing some research into the subject because, as a big fan of salami and cured ham, I'm curious to know what all that processed meat is doing to my insides.
How bad is lunch meat?
I'm guilty of eating deli meats/lunch meats/cold cuts (or whatever you want to call them).
They are useful when you just want to make a quick sandwich, and they can taste really great too.
But there are also quite a few health concerns associated with them too:
The main concern people have about lunch meat is all the 'extra stuff' that goes in them. By 'extra stuff' I mean anything that's not meat. And people are right to be concerned!
One big keyword is 'sodium nitrate'. This is a substance that is often linked to cancer, and the reason it might be found in your processed meat product is because it adds flavor, and also prevents bacteria from growing.
The negatives of deli meats
The list of worrying substances is actually pretty long - anything from gelatin to MSG could be in your luncheon or deli meat. Funnily enough, 10% of most deli meat is actually made up of water too!
On the bright side, not all lunch meats are the same. There's a big difference between:
- whole meats that get sliced up (like slices of roast beef for example)
- processed meat (sausages)
- restructured meats (a pack of wafer thin turkey breast slices)
If you're concerned about exactly what you're eating, I'd always recommend reading the small print on the packages before dropping a product into your shopping cart.
