Deli Meats???

My girlfriend got some information from FigureAthlete.com about nutrition that I had a question about. In an article or forum (she didn’t say which one) she was told not to eat any deli meat that is packaged in grocery stores because it’s processed. What is the logic behind this?

Does that mean that the processing is adding extra or taking away things that aren’t necessarily on the ingredients? I understand hot dogs are processed and bad for you, but what about turkey breast?

They are loaded with nitrites and nitrates which over time can increase risk of cancer. Granted, a lot of stuff increases risk of cancer, but the ingredients in them are horrible for you.

I have done them in the past if I see a really good sale, but I wouldn’t include them regularly

Don’t worry about Nitrates or Nitrites.

Theres no evidence to indicate that nitrite or nitrate ingestion is carcinogenic in humans.

Vegetables account for more than 70% of the nitrates in a typical human diet. Drinking water, 21% and meat and meat products, 6%.

Nitrate level.
Butterhead lettuce, 2,026 ppm
Average hotdog or cured meat, 10 ppm