Experts say that for every 50g of sausage and other processed meats eaten daily, there is an 18% increase in the risk of colorectal cancer. In other words, scientists do not even consider the question of how sausage is useful – but remind us of its harm.
The World Health Organization recommends completely eliminating ham, and sausages from the diet – limiting the total consumption of red meat (in the form of tenderloin or minced meat) to 350 g per week. What exactly is the harm of these products to the body?
Sausages – benefit and harm
Sausage (with the exception of homemade) is a product of deep industrial processing of the original ingredients, which involves heating and exposure to powerful chemicals. For example, sodium nitrite is used as a preservative in almost any sausage.
Sodium nitrite is added to sausage meat for two reasons. First, it gives the mixture a reddish-pink color. Secondly, being a preservative, it prevents the development of dangerous bacteria – especially at room temperature.
Among other things, cheap sausage may contain low-quality vegetable fats. Their harm to health comes down to the presence of trans fats that disrupt metabolism. Moreover, new trans fats are able to actively form in such a sausage during cooking or roasting.
Flavor enhancers
Sodium salts have a unique ability – in combination with proteins and saturated fats, they enhance meat, cheese, or mushroom flavors. In fact, without such a flavor enhancer, it is impossible to imagine instant noodles, chips, crackers – and, in particular, sausage.
At the same time, the absence of a direct mention of glutamate in the composition list (the phrase “flavor enhancer” or E-621 coding) does not indicate the absence of a substance. It can be hidden in “herbs and spices” – in the manufacture of sausages, they are ground in a vacuum at -192C, in the presence of carbon dioxide and one of dozens of sodium salts.
While not harmful on its own, glutamate increases appetite and promotes overeating – which is ultimately associated with weight gain.
Impact on health
The key harm of sausage to the human body (especially children and the elderly) is the presence of carcinogenic substances in the composition that provoke the development of cancer. The digestive system, especially the stomach and large intestine, is the first to be hit.
Separately, we can talk about the dangers of the high content of salt in the sausage, as well as animal and vegetable fats – their use increases the level of triglycerides in the blood, leading to problems with cholesterol and the functioning of the cardiovascular system.
Contained in sausages and sausages (especially after smoking) preservatives and spices irritate the lining of the stomach – such products should not be used for gastritis, food allergies, and various disorders of the gastrointestinal tract.
Omega-6 balance
Among other things, the indirect harm of sausage on the human body is the high content of omega-6 fats – they are part of both vegetable fats and sausage meat. Omega-6-rich corn is a popular feed for industrial pig and cow production.
Excessive consumption of omega-6 increases the development of micro-inflammation in the body and increases the need for omega-3. In turn, omega-3 deficiency is extremely common among those who do not consume marine fish or fish oil.
Can you eat sausage?
The problem of the benefits and harms of sausage for health lies not so much in cost but in manufacturing technology. Both cheap and expensive sausages undergo chemical processing – from the process of raising animals, ending with the preparation of the final product.
After animal meat is ground into small minced meat to make sausage, vegetable fats are introduced into the composition, as a result of which the consistency becomes colorless and shapeless. Stabilizers are added to create an elastic texture – either dried blood (“black pudding”).
Starch and gelatin (typical ingredients of homemade jelly) were traditionally used as stabilizers and thickeners in the manufacture of sausages, but hydrocolloids have come in their place, which bind water and minced meat dozens of times better.
In other words, if you like the taste, sausage is best treated as a rare treat – choosing the most natural varieties. In other cases, the daily use of this product (especially cheap sausage) has proven harmful to health.
The World Health Organization considers sausages and frankfurters unhealthy foods and recommends limiting the consumption of processed meat to 50 grams per day. The main reason is that any modern sausages are a product of multi-stage chemical processing.