Aside from cancer risk, all processed meats tend to be high in sodium, so that’s “an important factor,” said Dr. Huh. Excess sodium intake can increase the risk of high blood pressure and cardiovascular disease.
Processed meats have also been linked to an increased risk of developing type 2 diabetes and dementia. For example, a large 2021 study conducted in Britain concluded that for every extra 25 grams (or about an ounce) of processed meat in a person’s daily diet, the risk of dementia increased by 44 percent and that of dementia. Alzheimer’s by 52. percent.
dr. Vijaya Surampudi, an assistant professor of medicine at the UCLA Center for Human Nutrition, said the concern with processed meat is that it can increase inflammation in the body, in part by altering the gut’s microbiome. “The gut bacteria interact with our immune system and eventually lead to chronic inflammation,” she said, which can affect blood pressure, blood sugar and cholesterol, increasing the risk of chronic disease and even death.
“A plant-based diet will be much more preventive to reduce the risk,” said Dr. Surampudi. “It doesn’t mean you have to go 100 percent vegan or vegetarian,” she said, just that the majority of your diet should come from plant-based sources.
This way of eating is usually better for the environment.
Does this mean that it is better to eat plant-based meat substitutes?
“Potentially, processed meat alternatives are better than processed meats, but not all processed meat alternatives are created equal,” said Dr. Huh. Ultimately, it depends on what the products are made of: whether they are fully plant-based analogues or products made from a mix of meat and vegetables. But, he added, “of course, a more optimal diet should be based on minimally processed plant foods.”