Myths & Facts about our Most Feared & Loved Food
There’s not much argument about the deliciousness of bacon. Whether you like it crispy or chewy, with scrambled eggs, stacked on a BLT, or wrapped around sweet dates, bacon is mmm-mmmm-good.
But bacon - a health food? In my kitchen, yes indeed. Allow me to dispel the common misconceptions about one of the most loved and feared foods on earth, and then you can decide for yourself.
BACON MYTH #1: Bacon is loaded with saturated fat and cholesterol so it will clog my arteries and kill me.
FACT: If you’re a “show me the studies” kind of person – Diets high in saturated fat actually have been shown increase HDL, the “good” cholesterol and not affect LDL, the “bad” cholesterol (Journal of American College of Nutrition, 2004). Cholesterol does not clog arteries, and is essential for many functions in the body, including hormone production and regulation, proper digestion, and immune health. A fairly recent study actually shows that lowering cholesterol has no affect on plaque build-up in the arteries (American Journal of Cardiology, 2003). The modern epidemic of heart disease, should not be blamed on bacon, butter, and cream, but on unhealthy vegetable fats such as margarine, canola, corn, and soy oils as well as the groceries isles of other processed foods.
If you’re more of an experiential learner, start eating high quality bacon from pastured pigs regularly as part of a nutrient dense, junk free diet. You’ll feel awesome and won’t die, I promise. At least not from the bacon.
BACON MYTH #2: Eating bacon will make me fat.
FACT: Eating anything in excess will make you fat, but the reality is, when you eat nutrient dense foods rich in saturated fat, your body will become satiated faster and for a longer period of time than when you eat a low-fat, nutrient deficient meal like corn flakes with low fat milk or even a bowl of fruit and non fat yogurt. It tends to be the carbs, sugar, and processed foods that make us fat because we can eat and eat and eat them and never feel satisfied for long, so we eat and eat some more. Bacon can actually be an important part of a healthy weight loss plan.
BACON MYTH #3: Pigs are filthy animals and so pork is an unhealthy food.
FACT: Pigs like to play in mud, but that doesn’t contaminate pork. All conventionally raised meat should be avoided, but if you buy organic, humanly-raised pork from pigs that have eaten a natural diet and enjoyed sunlight, you are actually eating an extremely nutrient dense food rich in vitamin D. If you are Jewish or Muslim, you may choose not to eat pork because it is against your religion. Some will use these principles to justify health reasons to avoid pork – God bless them and their choices, and pass the bacon.
BACON MYTH #4: I avoid bacon because it’s all filled with unhealthy additives.
FACT: Conventional bacon is filled with junk you don’t want to eat. Oscar Mayer cures their “Naturally hardwood smoked” bacon with Water, Salt, Sugar, Sodium Phosphates, Sodium Ascorbate, Sodium Nitrite. An organic brand such as Applegate farms uses: Water, Sea Salt, and less than 2% Organic Evaporated Cane Syrup, Celery Powder – that sounds good to me. Even better, get to know your local farmer and ask her where her pigs live, what they eat, and how the bacon is cured – usually the more “homegrown” the less junk.
In my humble opinion, bacon is one of those foods that makes life worth living even before you believe it’s a health food too. Try to get yours from a local farmer whose pigs eat natural diets and snort outside in the sunshine for maximum Vitamin D. It should be cured without nitrates and a bunch of chemicals. Eat it with joy, eat it with abandon, but eat bacon. It’s so good.
Where do they sell Applewood Farms bacon at? Does Trader Joes have any worthwhile bacon options? What is considered a “suitable diet” for pigs? I know for cows it’s simply grass but what for pigs if I was to ask a farmer?
And what’s the best way to cook bacon? I’ve never actually cooked it myself as I became vegetarian at 15 and just started to eat meat again recently and I’m almost 40!
Karen – We get Applewood at Wholefoods.
As for “suitable diet” for pigs, pigs are foragers and omnivores. In nature they grub around for roots and dropped fruit. To my knowledge, a “pasture-raised” pig eats farm scraps. They should be no GMO of course and not heavy on the soy. I went to a Lindy and Grundy (a local butcher that specializes in local, pasture-raised meats) and they said the pigs were “hand-fed” (!) farm scraps from the next door organic farm (including wheat and black-eyed peas), apples, and milk.
We cook bacon in a pan (just lay it in a single lay in a cold pan and turn on medium heat) until just brown and crispy but not too crispy-burnt. I also hear it’s great done in the oven, so I may try that soon too!
SO glad you posted this… now where is the SHARE button?
Bacon used to make me sick, until I found a local farm. Best bacon in the world, I could eat it EVERYDAY!
Hi Savannah! Good question – I don’t know where the share button went, but I will get it back asap, thanks! Glad you like the post. Good bacon absolutely rocks.
Great post Emily!
Applewood bacon is also available at Rainbow Acres on Washington Blvd.
I heart bacon too! My kids love it, they like to make bacon guns that shoot bacon. I think everyone should put organic bacon back on the breakfast menu. Yum!
You have no sources to back up your assertions.
FACT: Bacon is a fatty meat that *is* bad for you.
“Based on convincing evidence, the panel recommends avoiding processed meats such as bacon, ham, sausage and lunchmeat. After carefully examining all of the evidence, the panel was not able to find a level at which consumption of processed meat could be reliably considered completely safe. Every 1.7 ounces of processed meat consumed per day increases risk of colorectal cancer by 21 percent.”
Source: http://preventcancer.aicr.org/site/News2?page=NewsArticle&id=12898&news_iv_ctrl=0&abbr=pr_
More, for your enjoyment: http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/2012/jan/13/bacon-linked-pancreatic-cancer-report
Want some pancreatic cancer with that bacon?
FACT: Excessive meat consumption, including bacon, is part of an obesity epidemic in this country.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19308071
FACT: Pigs are as smart and sensitive as dogs. Would you eat your dog?
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/11/10/science/10angier.html
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/03/14/opinion/14niman.html
Did you see this Bacon Poem Parody. It’s hilarious and beautiful!
http://www.collegehumor.com/video/6825656/a-slam-poem-to-bacon-with-nick-offerman
I <3 You. Seriously. Lol.
Thanks Laura! I heart you too.
I heard that pigs don’t sweat and keep in all their toxins, which is why it is unsafe to eat. Is that true?