Eating processed meats like hot dogs, bacon and deli meat could increase your risk for heart disease and diabetes compared to eating unprocessed red meats like beef and lamb, according to a new study, published yesterday in Circulation, reports ABC Nightly News.
Involving more than 1 million participants in 10 different countries, the study from the Harvard School of Public Health and Channing Laboratory, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Hospital reviewed 20 separate studies on meat consumption. Researchers found that eating as little as 2 ounces of processed meat per day -- a few strips of bacon, a hot dog or smoked sausage -- increased the risk of heart disease by 42 percent and the risk of diabetes by 19 percent. However, the culmination of studies examined found eating unprocessed red meat like steak, burgers and roasts did not seem to carry the same risks.