Processed meat linked to higher heart disease, diabetes risk

Interesting the headlines talking about processed red meat such as bacon, salami and hot dogs may be contributing to heart disease and diabetes. In the news it's saying it was associated with a 42% higher risk of heart disease and 19% higher risk of type 2 diabetes. The study authors, who report their findings in the journal Circulation, noted that salt and preservatives such as nitrites may account for the increased risk.

Sodium nitrite is added to virtually all processed meats as a "color fixer." It makes dead gray meat look fleshy red, and it's added to bacon, sausage, hot dogs, pepperoni and most other processed meats. It's listed right on the label under the "ingredients" section.

The USDA actually tried to ban sodium nitrite from the food supply back in the 1970's, but it was overruled by the meat industry which knew that the chemical made meat look visually more appealing and therefore increased sales of processed meat products. Despite causing cancer, sodium nitrite has remained legal in the food supply to this day.