In this week’s Ask the Nutritionist column, Nonie De Long tackles the bad name of bacon
Dear nutritionist, I would like to know if you think bacon is healthy. I’ve read a lot about it being bad, but I don’t really understand why when it is cured naturally. And it seems to be all the rage in low carb circles. Do you know something we don’t know? – Ron
Dear ron,
Bacon is one of those things that people are stubborn about. It’s horribly controversial right now, no doubt in large part because food policy is so incredibly profitable in today’s economy.
It’s one of those conversations that keeps popping up on my 90 day resets when I give them meal plans and there’s bacon in them. I get emails from people who are in shock. Of course, there are others who just gamble wildly at it with no questions asked. I imagine them saying to their incredulous spouse as they load the cart, “My nutritionist said it was good to eat bacon.”
At our next check-in it will look like this: “Guess what I’m going to have for dinner? BACON! “And guess what I had for lunch? BACON! And guess what I had yesterday? BACON! And I’m still losing weight! My blood sugar is perfect! This is crazy !!!”
Today I’ll tell you why I wholeheartedly recommend eating bacon as part of a healthy diet. And why, despite the hype about this food and processed meat in general, it remains a staple in low-carb circles – which are growing in popularity and showing no sign of being the “fad” they were dismissed as.
Bacon the Evil One
Those who avoid bacon do so for several reasons:
- It is high in salt, which is believed to be bad for blood pressure;
- It’s high in saturated fat, which some believe are bad for your cholesterol and your arteries.
- Nitrates: These are considered carcinogenic;
- Heterocyclic amines (HCA) are formed when meat is cooked. Bacon has HCAs. These HCAs have been linked to cancer in observational studies;
- It is now classified as a processed meat and Group 1 carcinogen by the WHO, meaning there is ample evidence that it causes cancer;
- Animal activism, which explains that animal husbandry and consumption of animal products are a major contributor to climate change.
Bacon the good
Those who support bacon do so for these reasons:
- Studies show that salt is not bad for health when balanced with potassium. The relationship is important. Eating regular green foods and foods rich in potassium prevents salt-related pathologies. Bacon contains potassium, as does fresh coffee and cream. Add a green smoothie to your day like I advocate in my 90 day resets and you are in the optimal zone.
- It was a myth that eating saturated fat increases the risk of heart disease and stroke. It has been repeatedly debunked by the meta-analysis.
- Vegetables are the number 1 source of nitrates. In fact, naturally cured bacon is cured with nitrates from celery. It’s unclear whether naturally cured bacon is better than regular bacon. And nitrosamines form when the bacon is well done. So if that’s what you prefer, take it with some vitamin C or a piece of fruit afterwards, as I advocate in my program. Vitamin C has a preventive effect on nitrosamine formation.
- HCAs are present when all meats are cooked spicy. There’s more to chicken skin and freshly cooked meat than bacon.
- The same organization that condemns processed meats like sausage and bacon is advocating processed meat alternatives with ingredient lists that contain 5 chemicals you won’t want to eat: propylene glycol, tertiary butyl hydroquinone, magnesium carbonate, erythosine (red # 3), and iron (III) -Orthophosphate. They also contain vegetable oils high in PUFA and likely GMO soy. We don’t really know because Canadians don’t have a right to know if we are consuming GMO products. Our government decided that.
- Holistic animal husbandry is more promising for soil regeneration than any other human practice to date. The Savory Institute was designed to spread these practices. Buying your bacon through holistic, sustainable farming is a good place to start.
But the main reason to eat bacon isn’t bacon at all. It’s about insulin resistance and satiety. You see, the biggest threat to our collective health today is insulin resistance. This was caused by the massive explosion of highly processed, highly glycemic ready-made meals and snacks – like bread, cereal, cakes, cookies, pasta, noodles, and pizza, not to mention candy and chocolate. These foods cause insulin resistance that promotes type II diabetes and obesity, and these are epidemic in our society today.
Look around. How many people do you see who are overweight? How many children are overweight? Think back now. How many were overweight when you were a kid and went to school? Insulin resistance doesn’t just cause obesity and diabetes. It increases the risk of heart disease and causes mortality more than any other factor. Please read this sentence again.
It has also been shown to be the number 1 marker that correlates with poor results on COVID19.
Insulin resistance is essential for optimal health and longevity. And nothing combats this more than a low-carb, ancestral, ketogenic diet high in animal products and saturated fat. Foods like bacon.
I hope this is helpful, Ron! Thanks for reading and writing.
As always, when readers have their own health questions, I love them. Just send me an email at mail@askthenutritionist.ca. Readers can read past questions on my blog at Askthenutritionist.ca and sign up for my free newsletter at hopenotdope.ca. Have a nice week and enjoy your bacon!
Namasté!
Nonie nutritionist
source https://dailyhealthynews.ca/no-need-to-deprive-yourself-if-you-love-bacon-nutritionist-says/
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