Bacon, Sausage and Processed Meat Raises Your Early Death Risk by 44%

A tiny part of me is crying inside this morning.  It's no secret that I love bacon and anything related to it.  I've got bacon flavored lip gloss and even a bacon scented candle and it looks like I'm going to have to stick to enjoying those rather than actually eating bacon itself.

Bacon might taste delicious, but it's not good for you, and a new study shows just how bad it can be.

Eating a lot of bacon, sausage and other processed meats can raise your risk of premature death by 44 percent, mostly from cancer and heart disease. European researchers found the risk associated with eating 5.5 ounces or more each day of processed meats such as bacon, sausage, hot dogs, salami and ham.

However, the researchers found the risk could be prevented by reducing the intake of these foods to less than three-quarters of an ounce of processed meat daily, which is about one slice of bacon.

The study found processed meats are particularly unhealthy because they contain higher amounts of saturated fatty acids and cholesterol than fresh red meat, and because they are treated by salting, curing and smoking via processes that introduce carcinogens or pre-carcinogenic substances.