Deli meat is cancerous. So what? What does that mean for you?
All processed meat increases your risk for colon cancer, but there are a few important things to understand.
Deli meat is a Group 1 carcinogen. That means in any amount, it’s cancerous. Diet soda, for example, is a Group 4 carcinogen. This means it’s only cancerous in certain amounts. I’d have to drink 25+ cans of diet soda for it to become cancerous. With deli meat, any amount presents a risk for cancer.
Let’s do the math. You have approximately a 5% chance of developing colon cancer in your lifetime. If you consume deli meat from time to time, that increases your relative risk by 20%. Now you have a 6% chance overall of developing colon cancer in your lifetime.
What does this mean for me? My kids, my dogs, and I will eat deli meat from time to time, but it’s not an everyday thing. I would not give my kids deli meat every day through their schooling, but having it every once in a while is not going to have a significant impact on their health.
TELL ME: How often do you eat deli meat?
