Bacon often gets a bad rep in terms of enjoying it a lot since it is higher in fat and cholesterol, and also greasy. It’s also one of the top foods that are craved because of its saltiness and crunchiness, and makes burgers and cheesy fries even more delicious.
Bacon jam contains tiny pieces of bacon and is a great spread for your turkey club sandwich or burger. It’s truly a great meat but there are some cons to bacon which is why it isn’t eaten every day.
Here are the pros and cons to eating bacon and how to enjoy it in moderation.
Pros:
Since bacon is a red meat, it contains many nutrients that you can’t get from white meat. Bacon itself contains 37 grams of animal protein, lots of B vitamins like B6 and B12, 89% of the RDA for selenium, 53% of the RDA for phosphorus, and good amounts of iron, magnesium and zinc.
It’s good for athletes or those that tend to sweat a lot since it contains so much salt. Keep in mind to not over-do it, since excessive salt intake isn’t good, either. Don’t eat bacon if you have high blood pressure since salt can raise it and make you more sensitive.
In general, bacon is fine to eat here and there as long as it isn’t a part of your daily diet. Since it does contain very high amounts of fat, it does in fact have more cons than pros, sadly. But if you’re looking for good appetizers and adding in some salty, crunchy protein here and there, bacon is a good addition.
Cons:
Bacon contains large amounts of fats, including monounsaturated and saturated fats. Health professionals are convinced that high amounts of saturated fats can lead to heart disease and weight gain. Even though the serving size of this fat is small in bacon, you should definitely limit your intake of this salty, savory meat.
As stated above, bacon is very high in salt which is good in moderation for those that need more sodium like athletes, but not all the time. Since so much salt is used in the curing process, excessive amounts can cause stomach cancer and raise blood pressure. If you do have high blood pressure and recognize that you’re sensitive to salt, be careful of how much bacon you eat and limit yourself to only a piece or two.
It’s packed with nitrates, nitrites, and carcinogens. Processed meats contain high levels of these food enhancing chemicals and the high-heat cooking naturally causes carcinogens to form. Nowadays bacon contains much less amounts of carcinogens than it did in the past, but scientists still say it can increase your risk of getting cancer.
