Is Bacon Healthy Or Bad? The Lies, The Science, The Fat
Let’s face it—bacon gets a bad rap. It’s been blamed for heart disease, cancer, high blood pressure, and probably your nan’s bunions.
But is bacon really that bad? Or has it just been caught in the crossfire of the great saturated fat panic and processed meat paranoia?
You’ve heard that it’s full of sodium, nitrates, saturated fats, and all sorts of “potentially harmful compounds.” But here’s the thing: bacon is also loaded with flavor, nutrients, and let’s be honest—joy.
So what’s the truth? Is bacon healthy or not?
Can you eat bacon without signing up for a future filled with stents and statins? Is turkey bacon actually any better? And what about those nitrate-free, uncured options with a halo over them?
Can it be part of a healthy animal-based, carnivore, or ‘Ultimate Human‘ diet?
We’re slicing through the fear, the myths, and the meat science to find out. Keep reading, because the answers may just surprise you.
TL;DR: Is Bacon Healthy?
🥓 Bacon is a processed meat, but not all processed meats are created equal—quality, source, and cooking method matter more than the label.
🧠 Nutritionally, bacon contains saturated fats, B vitamins, amino acids, and even compounds that support brain health and blood pressure regulation when cooked properly.
⚠️ The fear around nitrates, saturated fat, and processed meat consumption is outdated. Experts like Dr. Nathan Bryan show natural nitrates aren’t harmful but essential for the human body.
🍳 When you eat bacon as part of an animal-based, low-junk diet, a few slices won’t hurt you. It might help you lose weight and stay satisfied.
What’s Actually in Bacon?
Before we dive into the health debates, let’s get clear on what bacon actually is. Because if we’re going to judge it, we’d better understand it.
The Basics of Pork Belly and the Curing Process
Bacon comes from pork belly, the fatty underbelly of the pig. To become the crispy, smoky strip we all know and love, that pork belly goes through a curing process. This typically involves salt, sugar, and sometimes smoke or added nitrates.
Cured bacon is the traditional stuff. It’s been used to preserve meat for centuries, long before refrigerators.
These days, it’s also a major target of health warnings because it’s classed under processed meats—a category that includes everything from hot dogs to salami.
But not all processed meat is created equal. And bacon has a few surprises up its sleeve that we’ll cover shortly.
What Bacon Contains (Nutrients, Fats, and Salt)
Let’s talk numbers—just enough to be useful, not enough to bore you.
Bacon contains:
- Protein: Not as much as steak, but still decent.
- Fat: Mostly saturated fats, with some monounsaturated fats like oleic acid (yes, the same fat found in olive oil).
- B vitamins: Especially B1, B2, B3, B6, and B12, all crucial for energy, brain health, and red blood cell production.
- Other nutrients: Zinc, selenium, iron, and a good dose of amino acids.
It also contains sodium, where many concerns about high blood pressure come in. But I reckon salt is another wrongly accused victim and is not only healthy but essential. I discuss this more in the Best Salt for Health and Taste article.
And yes, bacon contains nitrates and nitrites—which sounds bad, but is it, really?
👉 Ready to get into the nitty-gritty of processed meats and how bacon stacks up against the rest? Let’s go.
The Processed Meats Problem: Fact or Fearmongering?
So, here’s the bit that gets bacon in trouble—it’s classed as a processed meat.
And if you’ve read any health headline in the last decade, you’ll have heard that processed meats are linked to cancer and heart disease, high blood pressure, and everything short of world destruction.
But is it really that clear-cut?
What Counts as Processed Meat?
According to the World Health Organization, processed meat includes any meat that’s been preserved by smoking, curing, salting, or adding chemical preservatives. That means bacon, ham, sausages, hot dogs, salami, corned beef, and pretty much everything you find in a supermarket sandwich.
This is where processed meat consumption comes under fire. The American Cancer Society and others point to data linking eating processed meat regularly with an increased risk of certain diseases—especially colorectal cancer and stomach cancer.
But—and it’s a big but—these studies often rely on food frequency questionnaires and don’t account for lifestyle factors.
In other words, the bloke eating bacon sarnies every morning might also be smoking, drinking beer, and avoiding exercise like it’s kryptonite.
Is All Processed Meat Equally Risky?
Not even close.
There’s a world of difference between cooked bacon made from quality meat with natural nitrates and a pack of ultra-processed hot dogs made from meat slurry and synthetic nitrates.
Even within bacon, the type matters. Pork bacon from a local farm is not the same as mass-produced strips packed with fillers and sugar.
Some experts argue that lumping all processed meats together is lazy science. After all, other processed meats like bologna or spam don’t have the same nutrient profile as bacon.
And let’s not forget: the way we cook bacon matters too—burning it to a crisp creates potentially harmful compounds. But more on that later.
Bacon vs Hot Dogs and Other Processed Meats
If we’re playing health Top Trumps, bacon contains more nutrients than most other supermarket processed meats. It’s richer in B vitamins, has a better balance of fats, and if you choose well, fewer additives.
Yes, it’s still processed meat. But is it the enemy? Not quite.
Next, we’ll discuss the big, scary topic of nitrates and nitrites and why the celery powder in your nitrate-free bacon might be more marketing than a miracle.
Nitrates, Nitrites, and Bacon’s Bad Rap
If bacon had a criminal record, nitrates and nitrites would be the headline charge. They’ve been blamed for everything from stomach cancer to general health risks, particularly when found in processed meats like pork bacon, turkey bacon, and hot dogs.
But is that reputation earned—or just another case of nutrition-by-scare-story?
The Mainstream Narrative: Bacon Causes Cancer
For decades, we’ve been told that nitrates (and especially sodium nitrite, commonly used in curing bacon) are dangerous. The story goes something like this:
- When bacon is cooked at high heat, nitrites can form nitrosamines—a group of compounds that have been shown to cause cancer in lab animals.
- Based on this, agencies like the World Health Organization have linked processed meat consumption to an increased risk of colorectal cancer.
- Cue the headlines: “Bacon as bad as cigarettes!” “Processed meats will kill you!” And so on.
This led to a consumer shift. Suddenly, uncured bacon was the hero. Packs started appearing labelled as “nitrate free” or “no nitrites added,” using celery powder instead—because plants are safe, right?
Well, not so fast.
Dr. Nathan Bryan’s Counter-Argument: Nitrites Are Nutrients
Dr. Nathan Bryan, one of the world’s leading experts on nitric oxide, sees things very differently—and he’s got the science to back it up.
According to Bryan:
- Nitrites and nitrates—whether from cured bacon or leafy greens—are not harmful. In fact, they’re vital nutrients used by the human body to generate nitric oxide, which regulates blood pressure, improves circulation, supports brain health, and even helps with sexual performance.
- Bryan calls the cancer scare around nitrates “a myth” that took off in the 1970s but hasn’t held up to modern science. He points out that 85% of our nitrate intake comes from vegetables—not bacon.
- What about those scary nitrosamines? Bryan explains that adding a small amount of vitamin C during the curing process blocks nitrosamine formation, rendering the risk almost non-existent.
He also debunks the idea that “uncured” bacon is safer. Most nitrate-free bacon just uses celery powder, which still delivers natural nitrates. Your body doesn’t care where they come from.
And ironically, studies have found some nitrate-free products contain more nitrite than traditionally cured bacon.
Here’s a great conversation between Dr. Nathan Bryan and Dave Asprey about nitric oxide, where they touch on the above points about bacon:
So… Is Bacon Toxic?
Not unless you’re charring it black and eating it with a load of other ultra-processed junk food.
Yes, bacon is processed meat. But the fear around nitrates and nitrites has been largely blown out of proportion—especially if you’re eating real food, not supermarket shelf-fillers.
A couple of slices of bacon from a high-quality source, cooked properly (not incinerated), is more likely to help than harm when part of a thoughtful diet.
Saturated Fat, Cholesterol, and Bacon
Ah yes—saturated fat, the dietary villain of the 20th century. For years, we were told it clogs arteries, raises LDL cholesterol, and sends you hurtling toward heart disease.
And because pork bacon and other processed meats are naturally high in saturated fats, they got thrown under the bus, too.
But science—and common sense—are starting to say otherwise.
Why Saturated Fats Still Scare People
Studies in the 1960s and 1970s suggested that saturated fat intake leads to heart disease. The logic was simple (and a bit lazy): saturated fat raises cholesterol levels, and cholesterol is found in clogged arteries, so… saturated fat must be the problem.
But recent research suggests it’s not that simple.
Many large-scale reviews have found no clear link between saturated fat and heart disease in healthy people.
In fact, dietary cholesterol—once demonised—is now seen as far less impactful on blood lipids than once believed.
Common Sense Check: Would a Caveman Have Cut Off the Fat?
Let’s zoom out.
Humans have been eating fatty meat for millennia. Animal fat was prized—it gave energy, helped the body absorb nutrients, and tasted amazing.
Yet modern health advice says to swap it out for margarine and seed oils. Spoiler alert: obesity, diabetes, and metabolic disease skyrocketed after that advice became popular.
Ask yourself: do you really think a bit of cooked bacon with your eggs is the issue, or could it be the breakfast cereal, sugar-laden coffee, and sedentary lifestyle that followed?
Exactly.
What the Science (and Real-World Experience) Says About Saturated Fat Intake
Even critics of processed meat admit that lumping bacon in with ultra-processed junk isn’t always fair. If you eat bacon from quality sources—without toast, hash browns, or sugary ketchup—you’re just eating meat and fat, not a health grenade.
Plus, bacon fat can help you lose weight by promoting satiety and stabilising blood sugar, especially when you’re cutting carbs.
And remember: it’s not just about fat—it’s about context. A few slices of bacon won’t harm you if your diet is based on real, unprocessed food, real food with plenty of other nutrients, and daily movement.
Is Turkey Bacon Better?
If pork bacon is the bad boy in the health world, turkey bacon is the one with a halo—and a PR team.
It’s leaner, it’s marketed as “lighter,” and it shows up in every “clean eating” recipe, trying to make bacon guilt-free.
But let’s ask the real question: Is turkey bacon actually healthier, or is it just processed meat in a different outfit?
Pork or Turkey? The Truth About “Healthier” Bacon
Yes, turkey bacon tends to have less saturated fat and fewer calories per slice compared to pork bacon. That’s what makes it appealing to calorie counters and fat-phobes.
But don’t be fooled.
Most commercial turkey bacon is still highly processed. It often contains synthetic nitrates, added sugars, preservatives, and flavour enhancers to make it taste like the real thing. It’s also usually formed from ground turkey meat—sometimes skin and scraps—into a strip-like shape.
In the end, it’s still processed meat, but now we’re entering the world of ultra-processed, which is a different story.
And when you eat bacon, the goal isn’t just to avoid fat. It’s to eat something satisfying, nutrient-dense, and minimally messed with. Most turkey bacon misses the mark on all three.
Why Turkey Bacon Might Not Be What You Think
Turkey bacon isn’t inherently evil—but it’s not necessarily healthier, either.
And despite the marketing spin, most turkey bacon still falls into the same category as other processed meats. In fact, some versions contain just as much salt (or more), and you still have to worry about sodium nitrite, added sugars, and potentially harmful compounds if you overcook it.
So what’s better?
A couple of crisp, nutrient-rich slices of well-sourced pork bacon, or highly processed turkey bacon pretending to be something it’s not?
You know the answer.
How Much Is Too Much?
We’ve covered the bacon myths. We’ve looked at the nutrients, the nitrates, and the fat content. But now comes the big question—can you eat bacon regularly, or is it something to be rationed like a guilty pleasure?
Let’s break it down.
What Happens If You Eat Bacon Every Day?
This really depends on two things:
- The type of bacon you’re eating, and
- What the rest of your diet looks like.
If you’re living on supermarket turkey bacon, toast, cereal, and snack bars, then sure, your processed meat consumption might be a red flag.
But if your day looks more like eggs, meat, butter, and a few slices of bacon, you’re far more likely to be fuelling your body, not harming it.
Let’s not forget: bacon delivers protein, B vitamins, healthy fats, and a sense of satisfaction. It helps you feel full, stabilises energy, and makes eating nutrient-dense food easier.
And when you’re not mixing it with sugar, grains, or seed oils, it’s not doing the damage you’ve been warned about.
So no, eating two slices or even a bit more daily isn’t going to send your arteries into meltdown—especially if you’re otherwise metabolically healthy.
What Does the Research Suggest About Processed Meat Consumption?
Studies that warn against processed meats often focus on large-scale food survey data. They rarely differentiate between a strip of pork bacon from your butcher and the pink sludge that goes into fast-food hot dogs.
There’s also zero adjustment for people who eat bacon with pancakes, syrup, and a diet full of ultra-processed junk. That matters.
Also, much of the “risk” associated with bacon comes from data assuming you’re eating it alongside toast, orange juice, and hash browns—not as part of an animal-based, low-toxin diet built around meat and proper nourishment.
In other words, it’s not the bacon. It’s the company it keeps.
Why “Limit Bacon” Advice Misses the Bigger Picture
You’ll often hear that you should “limit bacon” to half a slice here and there—just enough to remind yourself how good life could be, apparently.
But this blanket advice doesn’t consider food quality, preparation method, or overall lifestyle.
A strip or two of bacon from a regenerative farm, cooked gently on a sheet pan, with no seed oils or added sugar? That’s a completely different meal from a BLT from a drive-thru.
The takeaway? If you’re eating real meat, moving your body, and skipping the modern junk, bacon is not your enemy.
Making Bacon Better: Practical Tips
Not all bacon is created equal. If you’re going to eat bacon regularly (and let’s be honest, you are), it’s worth knowing how to make it better—for your taste buds and your health.
Here’s how to do bacon right.
Look for Better Bacon (Read the Label)
Quality matters. Mass-produced bacon often comes from factory-farmed pigs, pumped with fillers, sweeteners, and synthetic nitrates. It’s the kind that gives processed meats a bad name.
So when choosing bacon:
- Look for pork from pasture-raised animals.
- Avoid added sugars, seed oils, or weird chemical preservatives.
- Be cautious of buzzwords. “Nitrate-free bacon” often means they used celery powder—which, as we’ve covered, still contains natural nitrates.
The best bacon? From small farms using traditional curing techniques—but ideally, just plain, simple cured bacon without the gimmicks.
How You Cook Bacon Matters
Overcooked bacon might be crispy, but it also forms more potentially harmful compounds like nitrosamines. Cooking it slowly at a lower temperature reduces these risks.
Tips for a better cook:
- Use a sheet pan in the oven—200°C (about 400°F) for 15–20 minutes does the trick.
- Or gently pan-fry it—no burning, no black edges. (Here’s my favorite stainless steel pan)
- Always cook in its own fat or healthy fats like butter, ghee, or beef tallow—never seed oils.
- Let it rest on paper towels to blot excess fat if needed, though the fat itself isn’t the villain it’s made out to be.
The Case for Ancestral Eating (and Bacon)
Step back from the food labels, nutrition fads, and fear-mongering headlines for a second. Ask yourself the one question that cuts through all the noise:
Would our ancestors have eaten this?
In the case of bacon—absolutely.
Less Processed Meats, More Common Sense
Our ancestors may not have called it “processed meat,” but they were curing, salting, and preserving meat long before fridges were a thing. It was survival.
Salting and curing were innovative ways to prevent meat from spoiling. But stuffing it with artificial preservatives and sugars is not the same thing.
The problem isn’t bacon. The problem is what we’ve done to food in the last 100 years—turning meat into ultra-processed, hyper-palatable shelf-fillers with a laundry list of ingredients your nan wouldn’t recognise.
Eat better bacon. Choose less processed meats. And cook it like a human, not a machine.
Balanced Diet? Or Just Balanced Marketing?
You’ll hear “bacon doesn’t belong in a balanced diet.” But let’s be honest—“balanced” (I hate this term) often means low-fat yogurt, orange juice, margarine, and a multigrain muffin.
That’s not balance. That’s modern food marketing.
Bacon contains protein, B vitamins, bioavailable iron, monounsaturated fats, and satisfaction. That’s real nutrition.
If your diet is built on meat, eggs, quality fats, and seasonal whole foods—not cereal, snack bars, and soy protein—you’re already miles ahead.
The Role of Bacon in a Healthy, Nose-to-Tail Approach
If you’re living a nose-to-tail, animal-based lifestyle, bacon fits beautifully. It’s fatty, satisfying, and easy to prep. Pair it with eggs, liver, or even just on its own as a snack, and you’ve got a proper ancestral plate.
Forget the fear. Forget the bacon bad narrative. And forget the “everything in moderation” crowd who treat steak and sugar as equals.
You know better. And your body will thank you for it.
Conclusion: Don’t Blame Bacon—Blame the System
Bacon has taken a beating for decades—labelled as dangerous, artery-clogging, and cancer-causing. But when you dig past the headlines and look at the science, the story is far less dramatic and more logical.
Yes, bacon is a processed meat. Yes, it contains saturated fats, sodium, and nitrates. But are these things the evil they’ve been made out to be?
If your diet is based on real food, if you avoid sugar, seed oils, and ultra-processed junk, then a few slices of bacon are not going to harm you.
In fact, they might even help—by keeping you full, delivering nutrients like B vitamins and oleic acid, and adding flavour to meals that keep you on track.
The fear around salt, fat, and nitrates has been pushed by outdated studies and dietary guidelines that don’t reflect how the human body actually works.
Experts like Dr. Nathan Bryan are now challenging those old ideas, showing how natural nitrates (like those found in bacon) play a vital role in blood flow, energy, and even brain health.
So no, you don’t need to give up bacon. Eat it guilt-free and enjoy.
Get the good stuff, and enjoy it as part of a diet rooted in real, ancestral food—not modern food fads.
Because bacon isn’t the enemy. The real enemy? Misinformation, ultra-processed rubbish, and forgetting what humans were designed to eat.
FAQs
Is bacon good or bad for you?
Bacon contains B vitamins, healthy fats, and protein. While it’s classed as processed meat, quality pork bacon cooked well can offer health benefits—not the health risks mainstream advice suggests.
How frequently can you eat bacon?
If you eat bacon from quality sources as part of a meat-based diet and avoid junk, a few slices regularly isn’t harmful. It’s context, not frequency, that matters.
What is the most unhealthy meat to eat?
Highly processed meats like cheap hot dogs and ultra-processed deli slices are the worst. These often contain synthetic nitrates, sugar, and fillers—not real meat or natural nutrients.
Is bacon or eggs healthier?
Both are nutrient-dense. Eggs offer complete amino acids and choline, while bacon provides b vitamins, monounsaturated fats, and flavour. Cook bacon properly and pairs brilliantly with eggs in any healthy diet.
