Bacon being blamed for diabetes

Processed meats are already being linked to a higher chance of developing bowel cancer but a round-up of worldwide research has shown a link with other conditions.

A review by the Harvard School of Public Health in the US, published yesterday, found people who ate processed meats had a 42 per cent higher risk of heart disease and a 19 per cent increased risk of Type 2 diabetes.

However, unprocessed red meats, such as beef, pork or lamb, do not raise the risk.

Experts examined 20 worldwide published studies involving more than a million people.

They defined processed meat as any meat preserved by smoking, curing or salting, or with chemical preservatives added.