"New research may make you think twice about that second helping of hot dog this holiday weekend. Of course too much of anything is not good for you, but hot dogs may be more harmful than you think.
As CBS 2’s Dick Brennan reported, a study released just last month found that men who eat a lot of processed red meat double their chances of dying from heart failure.
“They’re getting a lot of extra sodium, a lot of extra animal fat,” said Dr. Kate Patton, RD at Cleveland Clinic.
Hot dogs are far from the only processed red meat. The list also include sausages, ham and salami.
As for the new study, it tracked 37,000 men with no history of heart problems. After nearly 12 years, men who ate at least 75 grams of processed red meat every day were 28 percent more likely to develop heart failure than men who ate less than 25 grams per day.
For scale, 75 grams is just two or three slices of ham, Brennan reported.
Researchers are still trying to figure out the exact source of the risk. They’ve narrowed it down to sodium, nitrates, phosphates and other additives.
“That’s what put them at higher risk for heart failure,” Patton said.
So why do these foods contain all those additives? They increase the shelf-life, Brennan reported. And yes, they can improve taste as well. But processed red meats should be enjoyed in moderation.
“If you’re eating sausage for breakfast, and salami for lunch, and having some type of processed meat for dinner, then right, maybe try and cut that back to only once or twice a day,” Patton said.
This particular study was conducted in Poland. It was published in the journal called “Circulation.
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