#41 Do I need to give up bacon to Live Long and Well?

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Jun 17, 2025

The discussion kicks off with a thought-provoking look at processed meats, like bacon, and their health impacts. Dr. Bobby highlights concerns about nitrates and their possible link to colorectal cancer. He references organizations that label processed meats as carcinogenic while also presenting contrasting weak recommendations. Notably, a study reveals that those with low vitamin C intake have heightened risks, suggesting that antioxidants might shield us. A practical tip? Pair your bacon with foods high in vitamin C to potentially reduce the risks!

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ANECDOTE

Deli Ingredient Label Exploration

Dr. Bobby explored ingredient labels at his local market deli for bacon, salami, and processed meats to understand what goes into them.
This investigation sparked the episode's deep dive into processed meats and their health implications.

INSIGHT

Definition of Processed Meats

Processed meat is defined by the USDA as meat altered by salting, curing, smoking, or fermentation for preservation.
These methods originated in Paleolithic times to enhance flavor and prolong shelf life.

INSIGHT

"Uncured" Bacon Still Contains Nitrates

Bacon labeled "uncured" often contains celery extract, which is rich in nitrates, effectively making it similar to traditionally cured bacon.
Labels like "no added nitrates" can be misleading due to natural nitrate sources in additives.

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Dr. Bobby begins with a walk through his local deli, which sparked a deeper investigation into what actually goes into processed meats.

He outlines how processed meats are defined by the USDA as those altered through salting, curing, or smoking for preservation, dating back to Paleolithic food practices. The real concern, he explains, lies in compounds like nitrates (NO3) and nitrites (NO2), which can convert into nitrosamines, a group of chemicals potentially linked to colorectal cancer.

Citing the American Institute for Cancer Research and the International Agency for Research on Cancer, Dr. Bobby notes that processed meats have been labeled carcinogenic, with consumption linked to an increased cancer risk. However, he contrasts this with a weak recommendation from the Nutritional Recommendations Consortium, which found low-certainty evidence that processed meat increases cancer risk, suggesting most people could continue their usual consumption patterns.

He scrutinizes observational studies like the UK Biobank study and a meta-analysis of 15 studies involving 2.5 million participants, both hinting at a modest increased risk but fraught with methodological flaws such as poor adjustment for confounders like diet, exercise, and lifestyle habits.

The conversation deepens with the Shanghai study that found nitrate-related cancer risk only in individuals with low vitamin C intake, pointing to the potentially protective effects of antioxidants. Supporting this, Dr. Bobby highlights that 70% of dietary nitrates come from vegetables like spinach and beets, which are associated with lower cancer risk, adding nuance to the nitrate debate.

And it gets more paradoxical—beetroot juice rich in nitrates has been shown in 75 randomized controlled trials to lower blood pressure by up to 7 points systolic, rivaling medication.

To put things into perspective, Dr. Bobby crunches the numbers: if processed meats raise colorectal cancer risk by 13%, your lifetime risk might increase from 4% to 4.4%—a marginal difference. In real terms, out of 1,000 people who completely avoid processed meats, only four might avoid colorectal cancer.

Other additives like sodium erythorbate and sodium ascorbate appear non-problematic at normal levels, and while sodium may raise blood pressure in salt-sensitive individuals, it’s not linked to cancer risk—explored further in Episode 27.

Dr. Bobby closes with a pragmatic and humor-tinged "bacon hack": since vitamin C may counteract the formation of harmful nitrosamines, consider enjoying your bacon with a glass of orange juice—a personal theory grounded in biochemical plausibility but not tested.

Takeaways:
If you enjoy processed meats, the absolute cancer risk appears minimal based on current evidence. Leafy vegetables, despite their high nitrate content, are protective—likely due to vitamin C and other antioxidants. To balance pleasure and prudence, pair your bacon with a side of vitamin C, and above all, remember: wellne