BEWARE! Too dangerous for you!!
Dear students and friends,
We are often so busy nowadays that we often find ourselves grabbing a quick bite from our usual haunts. I’m sure that many of you reading this are nodding your head in agreement! Hehe
Although it may seem acceptable if it’s not too frequent… however, we never really know how much ‘convenient foods’ we eat until we sit down and really think about it…
Below is a very interesting article that one of my students, Clifford, shared with me. There will be many times when we are too busy, and grabbing a quick bite from fast food restaurants will seem to be the easiest solution – but do avoid the bad and dangerous foods listed below. In the long term, it will take a toll on your health. I want all of you to be healthy always. With a healthy body, it is much easier for us to use it for the benefit of others. We should never take our health for granted…
Please do read the article below and educate both yourself and all of your loved ones on the dangers of eating these types of processed meat. This information is not made up by the writer but has research evidence to support the given findings.
Please share this with everyone you care about so that they can make the right choices with what they eat!
Tsem Rinpoche
Processed Meats Declared Too Dangerous for Human Consumption
The World Cancer Research Fund (WCRF) has just completed a detailed review of more than 7,000 clinical studies covering links between diet and cancer. Its conclusion is rocking the health world with startling bluntness: Processed meats are too dangerous for human consumption. Consumers should stop buying and eating all processed meat products for the rest of their lives.
Processed meats include bacon, sausage, hot dogs, sandwich meat, packaged ham, pepperoni, salami and virtually all red meat used in frozen prepared meals. They are usually manufactured with a carcinogenic ingredient known as sodium nitrite. This is used as a color fixer by meat companies to turn packaged meats a bright red color so they look fresh. Unfortunately, sodium nitrite also results in the formation of cancer-causing nitrosamines in the human body. And this leads to a sharp increase in cancer risk for those who eat them.
A 2005 University of Hawaii study found that processed meats increase the risk of pancreatic cancer by 67 percent. Another study revealed that every 50 grams of processed meat consumed daily increases the risk of colorectal cancer by 21 percent. These are alarming numbers. Note that these cancer risks do not come from eating fresh, non-processed meats. They only appear in people who regularly consume processed meat products containing sodium nitrite.
Sodium nitrite appears predominantly in red meat products (you won’t find it in chicken or fish products). Here’s a short list of food items to check carefully for sodium nitrite and monosodium glutamate (MSG), another dangerous additive:
- Beef jerky
- Bacon
- Sausage
- Hot dogs
- Sandwich meat
- Frozen pizza with meat
- Canned soups with meat
- Frozen meals with meat
- Ravioli and meat pasta foods
- Kid’s meals containing red meat
- Sandwich meat used at popular restaurants
- Nearly all red meats sold at public schools, restaurants, hospitals, hotels and theme parks
If sodium nitrite is so dangerous to humans, why do the FDA and USDA continue to allow this cancer-causing chemical to be used? The answer, of course, is that food industry interests now dominate the actions by U.S. government regulators. The USDA, for example, tried to ban sodium nitrite in the late 1970′s but was overridden by the meat industry. It insisted the chemical was safe and accused the USDA of trying to “ban bacon.”
Today, the corporations that dominate American food and agricultural interests hold tremendous influence over the FDA and USDA. Consumers are offered no real protection from dangerous chemicals intentionally added to foods, medicines and personal care products.
You can protect yourself and your family from the dangers of processed meats by following a few simple rules:
- Always read ingredient labels.
- Don’t buy anything made with sodium nitrite or monosodium glutamate.
- Don’t eat processed meats served by restaurants, schools, hospitals, hotels or other institutions.
And finally, eat more fresh produce with every meal. There is evidence that natural vitamin C found in citrus fruits and exotic berries (like camu camu) helps prevent the formation of cancer-causing nitrosamines, protecting you from the devastating health effects of sodium nitrite in processed meats. The best defense, of course, is to avoid eating processed meats altogether.
[Extracted from: http://institutefornaturalhealing.com/2012/04/processed-meats-declared-too-dangerous-for-human-consumption/]
Please support us so that we can continue to bring you more Dharma:
If you are in the United States, please note that your offerings and contributions are tax deductible. ~ the tsemrinpoche.com blog team
Majority of us in a race to finish the day today and would definitely grab anything that are easy, last longer and tasty to cook. Hence, they decided to buy frozen meats to make dish faster so that they don not have to go to market daily to buy meat. Sodium nitrate used in the process of making meats mainly for preservation help to maintain the richness of the meats while monosodium glutamate used for taste. These two are the reasons why people buying meats and parents never neglect their childrens’ savour in this case. Kids love eating meats in package.
But, people don’t realise the story behind these two ingredients that will lead them to cancer when they consume it in excess. Cancer isn’t anything joke nowadays, it’s humans’ favourite enemy. People should start consuming fresh fruits and vegetables more because it was found that they contain natural minerals and vitamins that are essential for health.
Studies show clearly that processed meat contains cancer -causing chemicals. Nonetheless, as the meat industry continues to dominate the food scene and to override all efforts by government regulators to ban these chemicals, the public continues to consume processed meat with these chemicals blithely. The best way to stay healthy is to eat as much fresh fruit and vegetables as possible daily, especially sources of Vitamin C, and avoid processed meat altogether.
It is important that we stay healthy so that we can benefit others with our healthy body. Thank you Rinpoche for sharing this article.
It is very scary to think of what would people or and company will do in order to gain benefits for themselves, especially to witness them with our own eyes. Although I am seldom eat those processed meat but I think I often exposed my self to those foods with MSG contain such as snacks , noodles etc I will try to reduce eating those foods with MSG contain/ Sodium Nitrite. Thank you very much Rinpoche and blog team for sharing this article and bring awareness to everyone ?
Processed foods are really bad for our health with all cancer-causing chemical used.I used to enjoyed processed foods during those days but not anymore as i knew the danger of it from reading articles years back. I have too discouraged my children from taking it since.
Its really bad and you would not have taken it after watching videos or knowing how it was processed….unhygienic methods and the killings of chickens or whatever so.
To go on vegetarian is the right choice.
Thank you Rinpoche for sharing and your concern for those taking these
processed foods still. I have shaved it on FB to let my friends know about the danger.
Thank you Rinpoche for sharing this article. It is really an eye-opener for me. Never thought that so many of the food that we previously eat are dangerous. Of course now I have take on less and less meat already which I felt better for the body. May others also take on less for health reasons and to avoid killing.
With folded palms,
Vivian
I know of at least two people who are currently fighting colorectal cancer. I’m certain processed meats are the culprit.
This is quite scary, can you imagine taking in all of the chemicals into our bodies? Why choose to eat foods that will put your life into risks? The scariest food is sausages, a friend of my mother who works in a factory once told her that sausages and nuggets are made up of animal intestines, well basically every single part of the animal. Hoe scary and disgusting is that…?
我常常自嘲我们这一代人往生后一定是木乃伊！食物里的添加剂，防腐剂，基因改造。。。。。等等都是让我们身体承受不了得，可是我们往往都被这种食物的味道，颜色所吸引，而常常大块朵颐不顾后果。希望大家多留意珍惜自己的身体。
If you really wish to have a healthy lifestyle or at least get sick less especially at the old age 🙁 , then eating less hawker food or less eating outside will be a wise choice. Even for those who cook regularly, need to avoid having too much processed food on our plate and avoid food you can’t tell by first glance what are the ingredients it made of.
Recently I visited to an organic farm, and the farmer told me that “unfortunately, we buy and eat from our ‘eyes'”. He is referring to consumers are not using their knowledge or to acquire knowledge on what food they are taking, instead, make decision purely or mostly by food’s appearance.
I believe empower ourselves with knowledge on food we consume, with strong consumer awareness and take the responsibility to what we eat is what we are, what we will be; then a healthier self, society and nation is possible.
謝謝仁波切的分享，可见現在的食物添加化學剂已经层出不穷和泛滥。可说已经达到危害人体健康水平。但很多商家为了个人利益，忘了良心责备，所以也草管人命，照常经营。但大家忘了，往往害人害自己。切记!
Thank you Rinpoche for sharing this information. This somehow remind me of this commercial, that has uncover the truth of the industry these days. From this game it has a slogan that caught my attention, “Cultivate a better world”.
This is the link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lUtnas5ScSE
Dear Rinpoche, it is a great thing that I’m vegetarian so that I don’t have to beware of this kind of things. I sure hope that the meats that I consumed over the 13 years will be cleaned off my body so that I won’t have so much problems like I used to have.
Thank You Rinpoche for posting up this information. I hope that many people see this post and change their mind about processed meat. I myself, didn’t realise how this was so bad for you. But now i do. Thank you for the information.
Processed food is so pervasive in many developed countries around the world and many people in those countries have diseases related to their consumption of their food. Cancer are most pervasive in rich countries as compared to poorer countries whereby the poorer countries rely less on processed foods.
Meat should never be eaten even if it is not harmful.
Nowadays a lot of meat gets eaten just because of us.
It would be great if no one ate meat in the past then no one would know about meat and no one would eat it.
Thank you Rinpoche for sharing this informative post.
Thank you Tsem Rinpoche sharing this article with us. Although I am seldom eat those processed meat but I think I often exposed my self to those foods with MSG contain such as snacks , noodles etc I will try to reduce eating those foods with MSG contain/ Sodium Nitrite. I will share this news with those whom I know them as well.
I am really glad that I’m a vegetarian, the meat industry and even the food industry has always been finding ways to improve the image of their products and at a very cheap cost of production but never really taking into consideration what the damage it does to the human body. As long as they don’t kill anyone in a short term basis they are free to go. Being vegetarian is one of the answers but still i feel its better to grow your own food than purchase manufactured products from the super/hypermarket. You do not know what the food industry these days put into their products for sale. Best to avoid sodium nitrate at this point. Thank you Rinpoche for spreading the awareness and I hope this would provide yet another valid good reason for people to become a vegetarian. The meat industry does not only hurt animals they’re also hurting the consumers. Our health is very important and yes many of us take it for granted, we need to take better care of our health. I hope Rinpoche’s health is well.
Dear Rinpoche,
OMB!! All this while I never knew that Processed foods like sausages, beef jerky, bacon and such contains with sodium nitrite or monosodium glutamate.
Though I know that eating to much of Processed food is potential dangerous I never knew that it could get this bad.
Looking back I am glad that I rarely eat Processed food such as the above which contains with sodium nitrite or monosodium glutamate that could possible lead to cancer.
Thank you Rinpoche for sharing this post with me.
Love
Jutika
現代的食物添加化學成份已經是沒什麼爭議了，人已經習慣性接受食物制成品的味道和口感。可能是忽略人為什麼需要進食？在我的觀念吃除了不讓肚子挨餓，重點是要從食物攝取對身體有用營養素。讓身體健康。選擇食物只為了滿足自己口欲而忽略營養的重要性，最后吃虧的還是自己。謝謝上師分享。
Thank you Rinpoche for sharing this useful post. I realized even as a vegetarian need to eat healthily because there are many processed vegetarian food in the market. Would like to share below infor with all.
What to eat instead?
If you want foods that help prevent rather than cause cancer, turn more to what grows from the ground. Eat more veggies, fruits, and whole grains: specifically leafy greens (kale especially), garlic, tomatoes, blueberries, mushrooms, and cruciferous vegetables (broccoli, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, etc.). Also good are sweet potatoes, soy products, nuts, avocados, and rasperries.
its true…its dangerous to our health.eating processed meats is bad for our health. i always prefer vegetarian . HEALTH IS WEALTH.
Well another good reason to be a vegetarian. With the technology getting more advance day by day, a lot of people are using it to benefit themselves, but it brought harm to others. People greed also becoming more stronger, a lot of business man are care more about their pocket instead of lives, even human lives. In order for themselves to get the money, it’s ok to put people lives on danger.
I think this must be one of the reason why Rinpoche wanted Kechara Forest Retreat to manifest as soon as possible.
It’s very easy to influence the young generation, but if we give them compassion, wisdom, care and love since young, they will becoming someone beneficial to the society. We have the duty to let our next generation know that this world is not only about money. Hence, Kechara Forest retreat will be working as a retreat center where we promote vegetarian, natural healing, compassion, care and love.
By feeding all these positive information to our younger generations, I’m sure it will bring more benefit than just feeding them sausage.
Thank you for sharing this article Rinpoche. It is scary to know these type of convenient food would bring so much harm to our body. Conclusion to the public would be avoiding all these food items as they contain and retain toxics in them. Hope this article will help more people realise the importance of being a vegetarian.
This article is an eye-opener and i will share it because so many people don’t realise how poisonous processed meats are. Of course it is healthiest if people go vegetarian, especially when we keep reading about the amount of antibiotics in meat, and that a lot of battery animals are sickly and people are actually consuming diseased meats. Even fish from the ocean are not safe as the seas are polluted, and those such as farmed salmon have been genetically modified which can have an adverse effect on humans. People may not be driven by compassion to stop eating meat, but if people still want to eat meat, at the very least, if they are concerned about their health, they can learn to steer clear of the meats listed here.
Processed food are so unhealthy and bad for our body. There’s a lot of flavoring, preservatives and chemicals in processed food which are cancer causing agents. It is advisable to go on a meatless diet as it is a much more healthier. Besides that, it is a more compassionate diet as less animals will suffer.
Yes, it’s very scary to know about how processed food are made, especially to witness them with our own eyes. I have been told by one of my friends many years ago, who is a butcher that has been supplying meat to one of the burger factories in Malaysia. He told me not to eat burgers, and explained to me how are burgers made. From what I understand, the burgers are made and processed in a very horrible way, it’s very unhygienic and unhealthy.
I certainly do not encourage people to buy or eat processed food.
The best is still to eat more vegetables, as there are no risks. 🙂
I think the best thing is to eat freshly cooked food especially the greens grown in our own garden. What if you don’t have your own garden? Come to Kechara Forest Retreat 🙂 Our veggies are pesticide free! Grown with TLC by our own Green Team.
I totally agreed with this blog Rinpoche is sharing with everyone. I have stopped taking processed meat and canned food or soups with meat inside, it is very bad for our health. To maintain a healthy life style is to become vegetarian. Take more fresh vegetables and fresh fruits, cook your own meals and drink plenty of water.
It is very scary to think of what would people or and company will do in order to gain benefits for themselves. Risking others life for our own benefits. Sounds really wrong to me. At times when i passed by one of those outlets at night, i could see a lot of children with the parents still paying a visit to these restaurant even it is late at night. What is bothering me is the children nowadays have developed the taste bud of these kind of food. Maybe Kechara Oasis can have an awareness campaign in order promote vegetarian food and the benefits of having all natural food at the schools and colleges. It might make them realise the risk of having these food if consume frequently.
With folded hands,
Thank You Rinpoche
Its really scary to read about the danger of eating processed meat! And thank goodness we have all these health conscious, caring people who carry out tests and proving them scientifically. Many people do not believe in having a healthier life by not eating so much meat but do research and see the facts. In the long run, it brings so much sufferings to our body by stuffing all the junk and unhealthy food. Who suffers but ourselves? Live a healthy and kind life!
Thanks Rinpoche for the sharing, this is really useful info to keep away unhealthy food.it is true that never that things for granted
Thank you Rinpoche for sharing this.
Nowadays convenience is everything, in our daily life, we just grab whatever is convenient. But how many people can stop and think about, the common food that we see like sausage, bacon might not healthy to be consumed.
I am fortunate that I am not eating processed meat anymore as I am a vegetarian now. See, vegetarian is cool! Help us avoid those poison =)
It’s scary to realise the country who fights for human rights and democracy, being the police of the world can allow this to continue. I guess there is no country that’s free of corruption.
Now that we are aware of the dangers of consuming sodium nitrite and monosodium glutamate, we should inform others as well.
I read that there is less harm to our body eating vegetables than eating meat. This is because meat retains the toxins from the animal feed more than vegetables from the pesticides.
This is an alarming growth rate of 67% from eating processed meats and the risk of pancreatic cancer and all it takes was to take 50 grams of them daily to increase the risk of colorectal cancer by 21 percent.
I will definitely stick to home made food from fresh produce instead with plenty of water or soup to go down with from now on.
This is as bad as taking cigarette if not worst. Both are cancer causing. The meat is manipulated so much it is should be called artificially man-made sausage, hotdog, whatever. If we care and love ourselves and our loved ones it is our duty to not eat meat and not taking cigarette. Both actions will ruin our body in the long term. When we get sick we need money for treatment. We end up working for money to fix our body. It is the same as taking poison, just different kind of poisons. At the same time it gave others the impression that it is okay to eat meat and smoke. It is not okay to eat meat and smoke then we ourselves avoid it totally.
This is such an interesting article. Didn’t know that some of the food that may look and taste good be so bad for our bodies.
This really shows that we can’t trust our eyes in this community now.
这真的很恐怖，我们自己完全暴露在危险之中。虽然蔬菜有农药，可是比这些有防腐剂、添加剂的“不烂之肉” 好很多了！
This is so true, and the solution is a vegetarian diet and that saves lives and is healthier!!!! But i did not know some of these but i am glad i do and i can tell my friends who eat mean and tell them to beware. Thank you Rinpoche for sharing this post.
This is so scary! Since young, I’ve been told that burger patties are made from very disgusting ingredients such as chicken’s guts, hearts and in some cases, intestines. It makes me feel sick even though i’m just writing them out. Before I was a vegetarian, I used to love eating frozen sausages, i’m really surprised that they contain substances that would cause cancer, i’m glad that i’m a vegetarian now, so do not have to worry about it. The most easiest way to prevent ourselves against sicknesses is, try to eat more veges and cut down on meat. We have nothing to lose anyways.
Thank You for sharing Rinpoche.
It is sad that even the US government regulators had no control over the regulation of substances like sodium nitrate used in food processing. How else could the consumers protect themselves from the danger of such chemicals added in the food products?
The USDA had tried to ban sodium nitrate in the late 1970’s but to no avail. For 43 years since then consumers had been ‘contaminated’ with this dangerous sodium nitrate in processed red meat! Can you believe it?
The authorities can do better to establish greater control and regulation over the food processing industry for the sake of the consumers’ well-being. No private commercial organisations should override the government regulators!
The safest way for consumers is to avoid processed red meat altogether!
Processed food has always been very bad for health. It not only have so much preservatives and chemicals in it, but the ‘meat’ that they use are also substandard… Many of the carcasses is not even cleaned and in many cases, these animals have tumors all over the body, all of which is just added into the meat processor to produce these hotdogs, burger patties etc. Have you ever wondered why these food are so cheap? That’s the reason.
As it is, already proven that consuming meat is very unhealthy for the body, and it’s even worst if we consume these processed meat. The best solution to this? Just go vegetarian. Not only it is healthier, it is also compassionate dining that harms no beings intentionally.
Thank you Rinpoche sharing this important knowledge. Since unable control them to use sodium nitrite, we need to be smart to choose the right food. To be vegetarian is the best choice .
Thank you Rinpoche for sharing this important article. Thank goodness I am vegetarian and I do not have to worry about processed meats. By eating meat, processed or not, you still need to kill and negative karma arises. So, go vegetarian!
It is very scary that our life and world is filled with these so called fast “food”. How can it be called food in the first place. It truly is remarkable (and not in a good way!) that with our intellect we have found ways to preserve food and even “mimic” how food should taste or look like… And all this does is cause us more suffering for those so called time saving moments!
If only we use our intellect for the greater good to benefit others and not merely to conceive of money making schemes. We can fly to the moon and back and we cannot find a way to feed our fellow mankind? Something wrong with this picture for sure.
Perhaps the science fiction movies of the 80’s that conceptualized capsules as “food” sustenance is not all that far fetched after all. That in itself is scary!
Dear Rinpoche, This is so scary. I know that chicken sausage is made out of chickens guts but I didn’t know the food that was written on above contains nitrosamines that causes cancer. I used to take this kind of meat before I became a vegetarian and to think of it, I feel like vomiting right now.
Scary! This kind of articles only further reinforces my choice to be a vegetarian. We all know that fast food is bad for us. But how many of us actually cares about our health until we fall sick?
When our body is healthy, we are able to do more and even more so if we’re serving the Dharma. We would be able to benefit more people.
Thank you for sharing, Clifford
and thank you Rinpoche for sharing this with us..
May Rinpoche be well and healthy always!
Shelly tai on 8 July 2013 at 5pm
After reading this blog post I think the best is to be vegetarian. That is what Rinpoche said we need to take care our health in order to benefits others I think all the school should not sell this process meat in their canteen because most of kids love to eat process meat like sausages for breakfast. Thank you Rinpoche for sharing this information with us.
Thank you Rinpoche for posting such caring article. After reading this article then i realised that how unhealthy am I now. I am also very fortunate to now about this at this young age thanks alot Rinpoche