WHO Report: Processed Meats can cause Colorectal Cancer

You might want to leave hot dogs, bacon and other types of processed meats off your plate.

The World Health Organization (WHO) reported on Monday that processed meats can cause bowel cancer. The experts added that red meat most likely can lead to the development of cancer as well.

Processed meats are now categorized in the International Agency for Research on Cancer's (IARC) group 1 list, which also includes tobacco, asbestos and diesel fumes. In order to be placed in group 1, every item must have "sufficient evidence" that it can cause cancer. Red meat, such as beef, pork and lamb, was placed in group 2A of "probable" carcinogens. The IARC noted that they found "limited evidence" that red meat can cause cancer.

"For an individual, the risk of developing colorectal (bowel) cancer because of their consumption of processed meat remains small, but this risk increases with the amount of meat consumed," Dr. Kurt Straif of the IARC said.

Based from the evidence that came from about 800 studies, the IARC reported that eating a 50-gram portion of processed meat every day leads to an 18 percent increased risk of developing colorectal cancer.

"These findings further support current public health recommendations to limit intake of meat," Dr. Christopher Wild, the director of the IARC, said.

Even though health warnings in regards to processed and red meats already exist, these warnings are focused on heart health and obesity and not bowel cancer.

The report wrote:

"Overall, the Working Group classified consumption of processed meat as 'carcinogenic to humans' on the basis of sufficient evidence for colorectal cancer...Additionally, a positive association with the consumption of processed meat was found for stomach cancer. The Working Group classified consumption of red meat as 'probably carcinogenic to humans.' Consumption of red meat was also positively associated with pancreatic and with prostate cancer."

The report was published in The Lancet.