What makes sausages carcinogenic

Christiane Fux studied journalism and psychology in Hamburg. The experienced medical editor has been writing magazine articles, news and factual texts on all conceivable health topics since 2001. In addition to her work for, Christiane Fux is also active in prose. Her first crime novel was published in 2012, and she also writes, designs and publishes her own crime plays.

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The sausage is in the pillory: The latest announcement by the World Health Organization (WHO) on meat consumption has caused quite a stir. Processed meat such as sausage and ham, meat loaf and smoked ham are carcinogenic, warned the top health guards. According to the International Cancer Research Agency (IARC) - a WHO authority - red meat is also officially suspected of promoting tumors.

But what is actually in the sausage that is supposed to make its consumption so questionable? At the top of the suspect list: sodium nitrite. "It is added to most meat products, for example in curing," explains Dr. Susanne Weg-Remers, head of the Cancer Information Service (KID), told

Nice and durable thanks to sodium nitrite

The substance ensures that sausages have a longer shelf life and, instead of their original gray-pale color, gives them a more appetizing shade of pink or red. In interaction with proteins, sodium nitrite results in so-called nitrosamines when heated. "And they cause cancer, at least in experiments with mice and rats," says the doctor.

Further risks arise from so-called black smoked products - for example smoked ham or salami. Here components of the smoke that penetrate the meaty delicacies have a carcinogenic effect.

And what about meat?

But not only sausage products, unprocessed meat is also very likely to increase the risk of cancer. That applies at least to beef and pork, lamb, goat, horse and game. "It used to be assumed that the roasting substances produced during roasting and grilling favor the growth of tumors," says Weg-Remers. However, not when eating white meat such as poultry. And that is just as chopped in the pan or on the grill as the classic steak.

Viruses under suspicion

So what is really behind the suspected intestinal cancer-promoting effect of red meat is still very hypothetical. “It is now suspected that special viruses play a role,” says the cancer expert. But that is not guaranteed.

The fact that viruses can cause cancer is nothing new. At least for the human papillomavirus HPV, this has been proven with regard to cervical cancer. And after contracting hepatitis C, the risk of liver cancer increases. "The risk of eating meat is there, it cannot be disputed," says the researcher, although it is moderate - for example compared to cigarettes. And since only six percent of the population get colon cancer, the risk for the individual is not extremely high, even with a slightly higher meat consumption.

Risk only moderately increased

Specifically, the IARC has put the increased cancer risk at 18 percent per 50 grams of meat consumed daily. That was the result of an evaluation of several hundred studies on this topic, which, however, had come to very different risk assessments.

Avoiding meat is not recommended

The doctor does not see a reason to forego meat and sausage entirely - but to limit consumption: "The German Nutrition Society has long recommended limiting yourself to a maximum of 300 to 600 grams of meat per week." After all, meat has Finally, its good: "It contains a lot of protein, iron and vitamins that the body needs," says Weg-Remers.

The WHO has also stepped back a little due to numerous protests: "The latest IARC assessment does not require people to forego the consumption of processed meat," writes the organization. Rather, they want to draw attention to the fact that less consumption can reduce the risk of cancer.

Colon cancer risk depends on many factors

Weg-Remers also points out that meat is by no means the only risk factor for colon cancer. Even those who live completely without meat have no guarantee of staying healthy. Rather, other risk factors that determine the individual risk also acted together in colon cancer. So whether someone is overweight or slim has a family predisposition to this type of tumor or not. The way the meat is prepared is also decisive: steaming is less critical than roasting. The cancer expert says: "Ultimately, everyone has to evaluate the benefits and risks for themselves."

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