The latest issue of Paleo Magazine is now available in newsstands and contains articles on the recent Ancestral Health Symposium held at Harvard Law School, irritable bowel syndrome and its treatment, MovNat with Paleo fitness in the playground and plenty of Paleo recipes. In a Q&A section with Paleo dietitian Amy Kubal, MS, RD, LN you'll find the following nugget on bacon:
Bacon - it's the stuff dreams are made of; it makes everything better. There is quite a controversy surrounding the 'fatty strips of goodness' we call bacon. The one thing that everyone agrees though, is that it's delicious. But all bacon is not created equal and quality does matter if bacon is more than an occasional visitor in your diet. "Regular" store bought bacon is questionable for several reasons. Many brands of traditional bacon contain additives like sugar, honey, nitrates/nitrites, and/or other ingredients. Additionally, if Oscar Mayer, Hormel, Tyson, or Store Brand X labels are on the package, it is likely that the pork is a product of a factory farms and has been pumped full of antibiotics, fed a less than optima diet and has endured awful living conditions. It is important to note that what the animal ate before being butchered has a major effect on the nutritional value and fatty acid composition of the finished product. Also, bacon is fatty and antibiotic/pesticide residues are stored in fat, which make the "regular" stuff even more worrisome. Organic, pastured bacon is well worth the extra dollars, especially if you are consuming it on a regular basis. Quality DOES matter.
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