Bacon and other smoked, cured and processed meats are usually treated with nitrates or nitrites—chemical added to preserve shelf life and enhance color. Diets high in processed meats have been linked to chronic health conditions including migraines, asthma, heart failure, kidney disease and several types of cancer.
In light of the more recent evidence, it's best to reduce your intake of all processed meats to once every couple of weeks. Therefore, keeping your bacon intake to a minimum is recommended – eating it every couple of weeks is best.
Epidemiological studies estimated that eating two thick bacon slices daily increased risk of colorectal cancer by 18%, according to the Journal of Clinical Nutrition and Dietetics.
Everything's (not) better with bacon
High in saturated fat, just 3–4 slices of bacon represents about a fifth of your daily limit for saturated fat. Eating too much saturated fat will raise your cholesterol levels, increasing your risk for heart disease. Adding to this risk is sodium, which bacon has plenty of.
One slice of standard American-style bacon contains about 44 calories, 0 grams of carbohydrates, 3 grams of protein, 3.5 grams of fat, including 1 gram saturated fat, and 177 milligram of sodium. So a slice or two is really not a big deal in the grand scheme of a balanced diet.
The healthiest way to cook bacon is to cook it until crispy (but not burned), which allows the most fat to melt off.
Science Backs Bacon
In order to reduce abdominal fat, high triglyceride levels, and insulin resistance (all of which are linked to weight gain), a higher fat breakfast comprising bacon may be the way to go.
For example, eggs typically are eaten with other foods high in salt, saturated fat and cholesterol, such as bacon, cheese and butter. These foods are known to increase heart disease risk and should be eaten sparingly.
You can enjoy bacon as a part of any healthy diet with the help of one key - moderation. Keep portion sizes in check. Avoid consuming bacon more than a few times per week. Use it as a condiment to top your meal, rather than the main course.
Eggs are not only high in protein, they also contain many vitamins, minerals and antioxidants. So, bacon and eggs really can be a healthy breakfast option, if eaten in moderation. More often than not, try to skip the bacon.
Overall, bacon is lower in calories and saturated fat and by trimming visible fat you can lower this again, so from a nutritional stand bacon wins. However, as discussed all processed meats should be eaten in moderation due to their links to cancer.
"My recommendation is to limit meat intake, in particular processed meat intake," Rohrmann told NPR's "The Salt," adding that "we know that meat is rich in some vitamins and minerals and, thus, my recommendation is to limit the [total] amount of meat to about 300 to 600 grams a week."
Processed meats are meats that have been preserved by smoking or salting, curing or adding chemical preservatives. They include deli meats, bacon and hot dogs. Eating processed meats increases your cancer risk. Unfortunately, when these processed meats are preserved, cancer-causing substances form.
But even if natural nitrates are only marginally better for you than synthetic ones, picking organic—or even grass-fed—bacon is still a cleaner choice. Both are free of nasty antibiotics and hormones, while grass-fed has the added benefit of coming from a pig that wasn't raised on corn or soy.
Crispy bacon lovers should opt for thinner slices, while those who want some chew are better off with thicker cuts. And if you're looking for less fat in your bacon, center-cut is the choice for you. It comes from pork belly cut close to the bone and has 25% to 30% less fat than standard bacon.
Bacon, hot dogs, and other processed meats
It's so common in dishes that you might think it's okay to enjoy that sizzling, greasy strip. The fact is that bacon is not only loaded with saturated fat, but also contains high amounts of sodium, both of which are linked to increased risk for heart disease.
Absolutely eggs and bacon can be healthy!
Food doesn't have to be 'good' or 'bad'. Often, people think you can't have an egg and bacon fry-up for breakfast – that it is a 'special occasion' or 'cheat' meal. But everything can form part of a healthy diet, we just need to tweak our recipes.
Bacon and other smoked, cured and processed meats are usually treated with nitrates or nitrites—chemical added to preserve shelf life and enhance color. Diets high in processed meats have been linked to chronic health conditions including migraines, asthma, heart failure, kidney disease and several types of cancer.
Bacon is an excellent source of high protein, low carbohydrate energy that helps to reset metabolism, making weight loss much easier and is helpful in building muscle tissues that are lean and strong.
Nutritionally speaking, bacon fat is actually lower in saturated fat and higher in the good monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats than butter.