Is bacon, a must-have during the Chinese New Year, really healthy?

Among the rich and diverse New Year goods, bacon is absolutely indispensable on the Chinese table. In the Chinese food recipes, bacon has a high presence, and Jinhua ham has been a good gift since ancient times. Bacon captures people's taste buds with its unique taste and aroma. Pickled pork with preserved vegetables, bacon and dried tofu... are all delicacies on the table. However, with the improvement of people's health awareness, bacon, which is colorful, fragrant and delicious, seems to have its shortcomings.

When processed meat products such as sausages and ham were listed as carcinogens by the International Agency for Research on Cancer under the World Health Organization, it caused public concern about bacon. In my country's food production standards, cured meat products refer to non-ready-to-eat meat products made from fresh (frozen) livestock, poultry or their edible by-products, with or without auxiliary materials, and processed through processes such as pickling, drying (or sun drying, air drying), etc. The familiar Chinese ham, bacon, pressed duck, air-dried meat, etc. are all among them. These foods are very popular in winter, but because bacon is pickled with a lot of salt and smoked and roasted in various ways during production, the nitrites, microorganisms, benzopyrene and other substances produced in this process are all carcinogens.

The large amount of salt used in pickled foods is a killer of human health. The sodium content of every 100 grams of bacon is about 800 mg, which is more than ten times the average amount of ordinary pork. Salt is an important factor affecting blood pressure. It not only increases the osmotic pressure in the body and causes blood pressure to rise, but also causes certain damage to the gastric mucosa. Secondly, the fat and cholesterol content of bacon is very high. In terms of weight, the fat content in 100 grams of bacon is as high as 50%. Compared with the fat intake of 25g recommended by the dietary guidelines for Chinese residents, if bacon is consumed in large quantities continuously, it is easy to become a "risk factor" for hyperlipidemia. Secondly, bacon has a lot of nutritional losses. Compared with fresh meat, the production process of bacon takes away most of the vitamins and trace elements, such as vitamin B1. Vitamin B2. Niacin, vitamin C, etc. are all zero. Therefore, long-term and large-scale consumption of bacon will invisibly cause excessive salt intake, which may aggravate or cause blood pressure to increase or fluctuate.

So, for the sake of health, can we only give up bacon? In order for people to eat healthy bacon, many companies have worked hard on the production process. In the process of pickling fresh meat, safe and fresh raw materials are selected. Secondly, in addition to the use of salt in the pickling process, the use of nitrite will be strictly controlled, and its content is controlled at about 6%. In view of the problem of benzopyrene content in bacon smoking, through the improvement of process flow, low temperature, centralized baking, precise control of quantity and other measures are taken to reduce the content of this substance in bacon products. Therefore, if you are greedy for bacon, you can still choose bacon produced by regular manufacturers. At the same time, you should also pay more attention when eating. In terms of eating methods, it is best to steam and cook, and try to use less frying. Because high temperature production will cause the salt in the bacon to produce nitrite when heated, which will increase the content of carcinogens such as acid nitropyrrolidine and dimethylsulfamine. You can cut the bacon into slices and boil it in boiling water for a few minutes before eating to reduce the content of nitrite in bacon products. When eating bacon, moderation is also a principle that must be followed. According to the 2015 edition of the Chinese Food Composition Table, 100 grams of cured meat products contain about 48.9 grams of fat and nearly 6 grams of salt (1000 mg of sodium). If you eat more than 100 grams at a time, the daily intake of fat and salt will exceed the recommended daily intake of an adult, which will have an adverse effect on the cardiovascular system. Therefore, it is recommended to calculate the amount based on body weight. The amount of consumption for adults each time should not exceed 150 grams. The elderly should try to eat less cured meat products. It is best not to eat more than 3 times a week, and do not eat continuously.

Some experts also provide some ways to eat bacon, such as pairing it with vegetables rich in thiol compounds. Garlic, chives, scallions, onions, etc. are rich in thiol compounds, which are natural substances that remove nitrites from food and block the synthesis of nitrosamines. In addition, garlic can inhibit the growth of nitrate-reducing bacteria and promote the growth of lactic acid bacteria, so garlic, scallions, and onions are good partners for bacon. It can also be paired with fruits and vegetables rich in vitamin C. Fresh vegetables such as cabbage, bell peppers, lentils, spinach, eggplant, and bitter melon have different degrees of nitrite removal capabilities. Currently, low-salt bacon has also been developed on the market, which can reduce the salt content of bacon from 8% to about 3%. Therefore, when you are craving bacon, you can choose products with low sodium content, improve the cooking method when making it, and eat less and be cautious.

Author: Cheng Fangjie

Text review: Bo Shengling