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this post was submitted on 05 Jul 2025
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What is the definition of “processed” here? blended meat? high salt %? specific preservatives? artificial casing?
Also what definition of "safe".
My grandpa eats at least one burger per week and he's turning 90 next year. So obviously "safe" isn't a measure of imminent and near term death?
As always, unsafe never means 100% chance to kill. Not wearing s seatbelt while driving is unsafe, but it doesn't mean that you will not be able to survive to 90 is you're lucky.
I agree with you, but using a relative that does something unhealthy that got old to prove a point is not really scientific nor right.
We absolutely know that smoking causes cancer is a really unhealthy habit, yet we see people that smoke reach very high age. However the average smoker lives a shorter life.
You're right, its a suboptimal example.
But I can conclude that its not so dangerous as to lead to imminent death / disability within 30 years. So how "unsafe" is eating processed meat anyway?
The article makes like you're doomed to develop colon cancer if you mom ever fed you a single bite of hamburger helper as a kid. Obviously, that's a ridiculous conclusion.
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Similar research from around a year ago:
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/378589731_Ultra-processed_food_exposure_and_adverse_health_outcomes_umbrella_review_of_epidemiological_meta-analyses/
"Introduction Ultra-processed foods, as defined using the Nova food classification system, encompass a broad range of ready to eat products, including packaged snacks, carbonated soft drinks, instant noodles, and ready- made meals. 1 These products are characterised as industrial formulations primarily composed of chemically modified substances extracted from foods, along with additives to enhance taste, texture, appearance, and durability, with minimal to no inclusion of whole foods. 2 "
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nova_classification
What a vague definition that totally misses the specifics that matter. There's an overwhelming variety of food additives.
Do you know where they eat some of the most processed food in the world? Japan. Some of the highest life expectancy in the world.
What are they doing differently? Without knowing what exactly the commonalities are, there is no value to this study.