We all love to eat delicious food, but not every type of food that we prepare is healthy for your body. There were many debates about certain types of food, their effects on us and whether we should avoid or increase their intake. Being that we live in an era of digital information where most of it is transferred via digital media, advertising material and media in general, it’s unavoidable to come across misinformation and false statements.
However, some statements can’t be disputed, and they are called facts. This type of information is proved and thus valid. So what about everyone’s favorite type of food, smoked meat, is it potentially harmful to us, or is it harmless?
If you’re looking for facts about smoked food, look no more.
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Increased Sodium Levels
Smoked meat might be extremely pleasing to a couple of your senses, as they indeed taste and look amazing. But there is one that although soothes the soul, isn’t extremely beneficial to your health. In fact, it’s pretty harmful when taken in higher doses.
Because of the method of preparation of smoked meat, they contain high amounts of sodium. Our daily intake of sodium, shouldn’t be more than 2,300 mg.
And being that smoked meats are rubbed with salt (not all smoked meats are rubbed with salt), it doesn’t take much to realize that that amount of salt is extremely unhealthy.
Wondering what extremely salty food does to your body? It affects your kidneys, which are extremely important organs in our body. Kidney associated diseases can ruin your whole life, and the worst thing that you can do if you have any type of kidney disease is to add more salt to your diet. If you’re unaware of how important these organs are to our body, bloodstream, and overall health, you can learn more here.
Eating smoked food excessively will only prolong your kidney problems, and even if you don’t have any kidney disease, it can considerably worsen your blood pressure and overall health.
The key to a healthy diet is a balance, so yes you can eat smoked food but try not to force-feed anyone who’s aware of the dangers to health that eating this type of food bears.
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Carcinogens in Smoke?
There was a lot of debate about how unhealthy this type of food is, and there are definitely some claims that state that smoked food does contain carcinogens. This is actually true. If you’re not convinced, ask yourself ‘how do we smoke meat?’
The whole point of preparing meat this way is to burn wood in order to slow cook the meat with its smoke right? And although this thermal processing of food makes it extremely delicious, the smoke itself contains carcinogens that, logically, increase the chances of getting cancer.
On the other side, there were several claims about the presence of carcinogens in certain food types that were debunked. So if you understand the principle of a balanced diet, almost everything is allowed, in moderation.
This means that you can eat smoked food, but bear in mind that limiting its intake is advisable. If you’re looking for best smoker models, take a look at this list of affordable models and choose the best one for you.
The Scientific method of proving whether a certain type of food contained carcinogens while prepared in a specific way is pretty accurate. However, the news, media and any other unconfirmed source of information can spread misinformation without ever checking the facts. This is why we can’t believe just about anything that we read, but we should also know that there is always a way to check the validity of information.
Increased Heart Attack Risk?
Now, smoked meat maybe isn’t the most healthiest type of food out there, but it sure is healthier than deep fried food. If we consider that the air that we’re breathing isn’t healthy, especially in industrial areas where the amount of harmful substances is way above allowed, then how are we supposed to worry about the fact that the food we’re eating isn’t healthy. Smoked food does increase the risk of heart attacks and conducting heart diseases.
This is due to the effect sodium has on our blood pressure and body in general. We’ve already mentioned that balance is everything and that by adding increased amounts of sodium(salt) in our diet we’re creating a disbalance in our metabolism.
Increased blood pressure can cause various health problems, where liver failure, as well as the failure of other important organs, is a common hazard.
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Stomach Cancer
There were claims that smoked food increases chances for breast cancer, but many scientists still debate on the accuracy of this claim. There was another research that was conducted in Hungary.
The data they got from that research clearly proves that the carcinogens in smoked food increase the risk of getting stomach cancer as the numbers of cancer patients nearly doubled over a period of ten years.
So if you have a history of liver, kidney or heart diseases in your family, you should definitely avoid salty food. And being that smoked food is extremely salty, you should especially stay away from this type of food. As for the rest of us, we’ll be sure limit our intake of smoked food and decrease the chances of getting cancer or any other disease that results in internal organ failure. The best way to stop eating unhealthy food is to educate yourself on the dangers of overeating it.
Bottom line. Everybody dies. Enjoy the ride. Smoke on.
its healthier than for someone to get in my face and says different
Gotta die of something…may as well be smoked brisket…and ribs…and turkey…and pulled pork…and…….
It keeps saying too much salt is the problem. So, don’t coat in salt.
No real food is bad in and of itself when balanced with healthy sides, except for kale. Kale is bad.
I agree with the salt, use in moderation, when I smoke meat none of my rubs contain any salt and it turns out great, so use it or not I can still have amazing BBQ with no salt.
This post is just a fancy presentation of a commercial for Traeger grills.
I don’t need this kind of negativity in my life.
I figure I am going to die anyway
They say creosote is present on grilled and smoked meat!
I’ve heard that it’s okay as long as you don’t wrap it in aluminum foil…..
Who cares? I’d rather eat what I want and die a few years earlier than deny myself good tasting food and live those extra years.
Who cares if its good for you as long as it tastes good….
It makes me happy. When I’m happy I’m less likely to kill. When I’m less likely to kill I stay out of prison. Prisons are unhealthy. Thus, smoking is good for me. 🙂
Most rubs don’t contain salt, at least all the ones I make, now if you cover your BBQ in sauce them maybe it comes from that, just depends on how you prepare it, sometimes I sprinkle alittle sea salt on my pork but that’s about it.
When you start out your treatise with “some things are facts” to cut off debate you’re in Al Gore territory and I’m gone. Enjoy your sanctimony, I’ll enjoy some fine smoked meat.
Raw milk and eggs are the DEVIL, Bobby Boucher….wait, now they’re GOOD! Smoked meat….you get the idea.
I lived through a dead center hit from an F5 twister. I’ve seen people die from very minor accidents.
Your number is up when it’s up, pass the brisket, please!
I didn’t even review this post. No one is going to tell me putting a piece of delicious beautiful meat over wood burning fire is going to kill me. Whatever the context of the message, cooking meat over wood and fire will always be ok. How the hell else can you cook it. Smoke, no smoke. I’ll take my chances. Has anyone seen naked and afraid on the discovery channel? Give me a break.
Trying to TAKE smoked meat from people here, now that could be deadly.
I will continue to: eat smoked meat, eat bacon, eat grilled meats, eat raw cookie dough, eat my medium rare steaks and my medium burgers. I have lived this long and plan to continue.
Preach sister! This is just nonsense.
Mmmmm…raw cookie dough…
I will continue eating what I love to eat til the good Lord takes me from this earth. Until then eat what you love to eat & smoke on. Live life to the fullest