BeanDiet

I know most people reading this blog don't consume much in the way of cured meats, but maybe you know people who do - or worse yet, feed it to their children. That includes sausage, pepperoni, hot dogs, lunch meats like bologna, salami, ham and pork products. This is not the first study to find a strong link to cured meats and leukemia in children, but maybe word will get out, and it will be the last.

A new study shows that consumption of cured and smoked meat and fish is correlated to the risk of leukemia, the most common form of cancer in children, while higher consumption of vegetables and bean-curd is associated with reduced risk. This population-based study in Taiwan compared 145 acute leukemia cases to 370 matched controls, ages 2 to 20 years old. A suggested reason for the increased risk is the formation of carcinogenic N-nitroso compounds in the stomach upon consumption of smoked and cured meats.

Liu C, Hsu Y, Wu M, et al. Cured meat, vegetables, and bean-curd foods in relation to childhood acute leukemia risk: A population based case-control study. BMC Cancer 2009;9:15.