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milk and powdered egg ingredients used for by culturing and pickling. Animals seek out salt “This notion
processed, packaged and fast foods, including licks, Paleo people eat and drink salty blood and
lowfat and non-fat milks—that contributes to other animal parts, and biochemists point out that of ‘nitrite-free’
heart disease. What’s more, as biochemical we need sodium and chloride for blood, sweat, or ‘organically
textbooks make clear, cholesterol is the mother tears, mucus and semen. Textbooks “worth their cured’ meats
of all hormones, including our reproductive salt” make all of this abundantly clear, yet the
and mood hormones. Thus bacon’s cholesterol U.S. government guidelines recommend drastic is a public
20
content may be part of the reason it enjoys such reductions in salt intake. Sadly, low-salt diets deception.”
a reputation as a “feel good” food. increase the likelihood of heart disease, hyper-
tension, cognitive decline, osteoporosis, insulin
HEART OF THE MATTER resistance and erectile dysfunction. 21,22 Given
Even so, “everyone knows” bacon’s bad for today’s epidemic of chronic illness, that’s pour-
us, and Dr. Barnard would have us think it’s a ing salt on a gaping healthcare wound! And it’s
veritable risk factor for heart disease. In fact, a poor reason indeed to avoid bacon.
bacon might be good for the heart. And not just
because it makes us happy, though that’s surely FEAR OF NITRITES
a plus! Monounsaturated fat—the primary fat For members of the Weston A. Price Founda-
in bacon—is widely lauded for reducing inflam- tion, the big issue is not fear of fat, cholesterol
mation and lowering blood pressure, while the or salt, but fear of nitrites, which have been as-
antimicrobial palmitoleic content in bacon fat sociated with cancer and many other ills. Indeed,
can keep plaque at bay. Triglycerides too may studies such as the recent one out of Harvard
improve because bacon fat is especially good make the headlines so often that nearly all edu-
at helping us achieve satiety and stable blood cated, health-conscious consumers think they
sugar. Bacon can thus be useful for diabetics and should either avoid processed meats altogether
prediabetics as well as everyone else coping with or choose “uncured bacons” that are advertised
sugar cravings and carbohydrate addictions. as “nitrite-free.” Popular brands assumed to be
Promoting bacon as a red hot ticket to weight healthy include Niman, Bieler, Applegate, Cole-
loss might seem over the top, but eggs and bacon man’s and nearly every other bacon brand found
do add up to a high-fat, high-protein, low-carb at Whole Foods Market or other health food
breakfast. They not only help people start their stores.
day feeling happy, but can reduce hunger pangs The question is, are these “uncured” bacons
and rev the metabolism. For many people, ba- healthier?
con’s signature salty and savory sweetness is
a treat that reduces feelings of deprivation and DECEIVING THE PUBLIC
lack. It can help people transition away from high The short answer is no. Nathan S. Bryan,
carb diets and overcome carb addictions. And PhD, of the School of Medicine at the Univer-
by stabilizing blood sugar, bacon helps prevent stiy of Texas Health Science Center at Houston,
mood swings, reduces anxiety, improves focus pulls no punches when he states, “This notion
and enhances coping skills. of ‘nitrite-free’ or ‘organically cured’ meats is a
public deception.” 23
SALT OF THE EARTH Traditionally bacon was cured by adding
Those not worried about bacon’s fat and cho- sodium nitrite salts directly to the meat. Today
lesterol content often fret about the salt. Sodium most manufacturers of “nitrite free” brands add
restriction, of course, is the latest goal of the Food celery salt, which is about fifty percent nitrate,
Police despite underwhelming evidence that salt plus a starter culture of bacteria. This transforms
contributes to high blood pressure and heart the nitrate found naturally in the celery salt into
disease. In fact, Americans today eat about half nitrite, which cures the meat.
the salt they consumed during the good old days Although manufacturers label this bacon
prior to refrigeration when meat and fish were “nitrite-free,” this method actually generates
preserved by salting and curing, and vegetables more nitrite from the celery salt than would ever
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