Today is National Hot Dog Day!

July is a great month to celebrate this ALL-AMERICAN FOOD!

However, are hot dogs worth the risks?

Hot dogs are processed meat. What is processed meat? The American Heart Association defines it as “meat preserved by smoking, curing or salting, or addition of chemical preservatives.” And the World Health Organization defines it as “meat that has been transformed through salting, curing, fermentation, smoking, or other processes to enhance flavor or improve preservation.” (hsph. Harvard, n.d). Ok, that doesn’t sound so bad, but what are they using to enhance flavors or preserve them longer? What we need to worry about is the unknown.

Hot dogs have been studied and linked to many health concerns: cancer, heart disease, and diabetes. Furthermore, the studies suggest that the more processed meat you eat, the higher the risk for these chronic diseases and mortality.
So, are hot dogs worth the risks?

0