Bacon study

showmethescience
#1

Hey everyone,

Mark Sisson had a fun blog post yesterday on some of his favorite studies that don’t get enough attention.

There were several - magnesium and heart disease, zero carb benefits, low cholesterol and mortality - that would interest most folks on here:grin:. And check this out :slight_smile:

In 1998, scientists set out to induce colon cancer in rats using different sources of protein and fat. Since “everyone knows” red meat causes colon cancer, they wanted confirmation. There were ten groups of rats with different fat and protein sources and amounts. One diet was based on casein and lard. Another was casein and olive oil. Another was beef. Another was chicken with skin. And the last was a diet based on bacon. For each diet, one group got 14% fat/23% protein and the other got 28% fat/40% protein. They tracked ACF multiplicity—the formation and spread of aberrant crypts, the structures that presage the beginning of colon cancer.

All of the rats experienced about the same degree of increase in ACF multiplicity—except for the bacon-fed rats. The rats on the 30% bacon diet had 12% lower ACF multiplicity. The rats on the 60% bacon diet had 20% lower ACF multiplicity. The bacon was protective against colon cancer, and it was dose-dependent protection.

Flummoxed, the authors hypothesize that the nitrate-induced hyperhydration—the bacon-fed rats drank more water than the others—was able to counter the carcinogenic effects of all that bacon. Sure.

This is a rat study and far from definitive, but I almost never see anyone cite it. It’s one of my all-time favorites.

(Sheri Knauer) #2

Love it. I like how its worded that “everyone knows red meat causes colon cancer.” I bet they came to that conclusion by asking people who had colon cancer if they ate red meat, lol.

(You've tried everything else; why not try bacon?) #3

Likewise, no study can be done actually to prove or disprove whether saturated fat is harmful for you, because that would be unethical, since “everyone knows” that it is.

@Madeleine, I forgot to say thanks for mentioning that study. As both a bacon-lover and a rat-owner, I am very grateful.

(Lee) #4

Thanks for posting the link! I’m having a slow work day and have been browsing around looking for something to read.

#5

Here is my own study)

(karen) #6

Wouldn’t “salt” have been an easier answer than nitrate-induced hyperhydration? :roll_eyes:

In any event, thanks for the day’s good news.

(You've tried everything else; why not try bacon?) #7

No, because then they’d have to admit that the RDA for salt is too low. :grin:

(Eve) #8

My 13 year old daughter has been defending bacon’s good name, against her school friends (who think it will kill you), so I gave her this, from the lovely Chris Kresser: https://chriskresser.com/the-nitrate-and-nitrite-myth-another-reason-not-to-fear-bacon/