Environmental Toxins: Cured Meat Can Cause Lung Damage

New research suggests that eating cured meat can cause lung damage. Those who eat a lot of bacon, ham, and salami are exposed to preservatives that significantly increase their chances of developing chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). These findings follow recent evidence that women who eat a lot of red meat increase their breast cancer risk.

Too much bacon and ham 'can harm lungs'

COPD includes conditions such as chronic bronchitis and emphysema and is one of the most common lung conditions in the developed world. Researchers found that those who ate cured meat products 14 or more times a month were 78 percent more likely to develop COPD than those who ate none. Those who ate cured meat products between five and thirteen times a month increased their risk for COPD by 50 percent. Those who ate cured meat also did not do as well in lung-function tests. Lead researcher Dr. Rui Jiang, from Columbia University, said that "cured meats are high in nitrates, which are added to meat products as a preservative, an anti-microbial agent, and a color fixative. Nitrates may cause damage to the lungs."