Women who eat just three rashers of bacon a week have a higher risk of developing breast cancer

Middle-aged women who eat just three rashers of bacon a week have a higher risk of developing breast cancer, a study has found. Post-menopausal women who eat just 9g of processed meat a day, the equivalent of two sausages a week, are a fifth more likely to contract the deadly disease, according to the University of Glasgow. It comes two years after the World Health Organisation (WHO) warned that processed meat has the same cancer-causing threat level as cigarettes, asbestos and the deadly poison arsenic.
The study, which analysed more than 260,000 middle-aged British women, found those who ate less than 9g of processed meat were still 15 per cent more likely to develop breast cancer than those who abstained. When combined with ten previous studies involving 1.7 million women and 40,000 breast cancer cases, it suggested eating processed meat increased the risk by a tenth, The Times reports. But the study, published in the European Journal of Cancer, found no similar link in younger women.
Processed meat describes any red meat that has been cured, smoked or had preservatives added to increase its shelf-life. Scientists believe that it is these chemicals - including nitrates and salt - which trigger tumour growth. In addition, the pigment haem in red meat is also thought to cause cancer by destroying the DNA of cells in the digestive system. The study also found no link between breast cancer and red meat.
A traditional English breakfast of two sausages and two rashers of bacon is equivalent to 150g of processed meat - three times the daily amount linked to cancer. Last month, a US study found that women who lose half a stone significantly reduce their odds of developing breast cancer. Researchers found losing two stone or more cut the chances of developing breast cancer by a third.

Source: DailyMail