This meat is the worst for your health according to doctors

Limiting your meat consumption is recommended by doctors, but not all meats have the same effects on the body. Which is the least healthy?

One type of meat is being singled out by experts, who believe that consuming it in excess is bad for your health. For once, it's not just red meat. While overconsumption should be avoided due to its negative impact on health, we now know that another type of meat, certainly eaten even more frequently, is a significant cause in the development of certain cancers.

This meat is certainly one of the most consumed in the world. Available in the form of sausage, ham, salami, Bolognese, or nuggets, it is an integral part of the diet of Western countries, and is also the queen of fast food and food across the Atlantic. That said, our American neighbors are not the only ones to harm their health by consuming it. In France, at least 94% of the population consumes it once a week in the form of charcuterie, and at least one in two young people (18-24 years old) consumes it in the form of processed meals. However, more and more doctors are warning about the health risks associated with even a small amount of this meat.

It's found in prepared meals and in most supermarket food aisles: this meat is "processed meat," which, according to nutritionists, is by far the worst meat for your health, ahead of red meat, when you eat too much of it. The main reason lies precisely in its processing and composition, whatever form it takes. It contains additives and sometimes very numerous chemicals that can contribute to the development of chronic diseases, diseases that cause 74% of deaths worldwide according to the World Health Organization.

The idea that manufacturers are putting chicks in a blender to make nuggets isn't actually that far-fetched. The manufacturing of processed meat is rather unappealing, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, which explains, for example, that sausages used to make hot dogs are made "by forcing bones, to which edible meat is attached, under great pressure through a sieve or similar device to separate the bones from the meat tissue."

Processed meats are actually cuts of meat (red or white meat) to which animal fats and preservatives have been added and then cooked, dried, or smoked in order to extend their shelf life. One of the problems with this type of meat is that it contains nitrates and nitrites, which once in the body can lead to the development of many cancers and even a form of dementia, if consumed in excess.

Health authorities recommend avoiding processed meats because consuming as little as 25 grams of processed meat increases the risk of cancer. However, in deli meats alone, the French eat an average of 288 grams of processed meat per week, according to a 2016 survey by Comportements et consommation alimentaires en France (CCAF).