The main 'criticism' of bacon (as well as many other foods) is that it can increase your risk of cancer - but in the modern day, I sometimes think "what doesn't??". All I seem to read is that this food, that food, this food, that food, will 'give you cancer'. There's a few studies that I've read that say most foods (as well as other things) can give you an increased risk of cancer, so the actual question is, what foods are the lowest risk? Is bacon a high risk food? The truth is, not overly.
I'm about to use a word that I use nearly every day when talking to people about nutrition - it depends. Bacon is okay, as long as you don't eat it every single day - once or twice a week will not really do anything. However, if you eat it once or twice a week, alongside an unhealthy diet, then yes, it can be a problem. Eating a healthy, balanced diet with the odd serving of bacon isn't going to put you in hospital, put it that way...
Every year you'll see stories appear in publications that talk about the next 'demon food', as I like to call them. A lot of these 'stories' just go round and round in cycles, and some of them are complete and utter bulls**t, with the only aim of 'making headlines'. I personally eat bacon, and I enjoy it (good quality bacon though, not the greasy, mostly fatty bacon), but do I eat it everyday? no, sometimes not even once every 2 weeks! Moderation is key, and so is your overall diet.
The main issue is that those who eat a lot of bacon, tend to have a pretty awful diet in general. It's the same as saturated fat (which is actually good for you - your brain needs it!) but most people eat far too much, and far too often.
Bacon - it's okay to have every now and then, it's not going to kill you, regardless of what the unqualified and uneducated journalists tell you, simply to make a headline. The odd bit of chocolate, bacon, alcohol, sweets, coca cola - if it is 'an odd bit', every now and then, it will do nothing to your overall health.
Moderation!!
Lee Gregory Fitness
