Including processed meats such as bacon, hot dogs, packaged ham, pepperoni and processed chicken breast to your diet can increase considerably the risk of having bowel cancer as well as lung, stomach, prostate and esophageal cancer. The reason why sodium nitrate is added to the previously mentioned processed meats is because it gives them that red color most people love, but it also adds some flavor and increases the shelf life of the product meaning they stay in the supermarkets for longer.
