Short answer
Sausage often contains red meat and almost always contains processed meat. Both are bad for you, so consuming in moderation is important.
Harmful to your health. A few benefits may be associated, but the bad outweighs the good. Moderation is extremely important.
View Full Grading System
Category 'A'
Very healthy and numerous health benefits. Side effects are rare. Things rated an 'A+' are typically necessary for survival (for example, water).
Very healthy and numerous health benefits. A few harmful qualities may be associated, but only under certain circumstances such as an allergic reaction.
Very healthy and numerous health benefits. Harmful qualities may be associated, but aren't usually serious.
It is important to note that even the best things in life can become bad in immoderate amounts. So, although something may be rated an 'A+', overconsumption/overdoing can bring unwanted effects.
Category 'B'
Very beneficial to your health. Things rated a 'B+' may have a few harmful qualities to pay attention to.
Overall beneficial to your health. Things rated a 'B' may have some harmful qualities to pay attention to.
More beneficial to your health than not. However, harmful qualities are most likely associated and shouldn't be overlooked.
The main difference between category 'A' and category 'B' is the harmful qualities typically present in 'B' items. Serious side effects are usually uncommon, but are still possible and should be taken note of.
Category 'C'
Both beneficial and harmful qualities associated. Things rated a 'C+' are typically a bit more on the beneficial side. Still, moderation is important.
A fairly even ratio of beneficial and harmful qualities. Moderation is important. Very general topics that can lean towards both sides of the spectrum will be placed here as well. Rice, for example, can be good or bad depending on the type.
More harmful than beneficial. Side effects are common, especially when consumed/done excessively. Moderation is very important.
Category 'C' usually denotes to both good and bad qualities. When it comes to this category, it is important to keep this word in mind: moderation.
Category 'D'
Harmful to your health. Although benefits may be associated, the bad most likely outweighs the good. Moderation is very important.
Harmful to your health. A few benefits may be associated, but the bad outweighs the good. Moderation is extremely important.
Harmful to your health. Very few, if any, benefits are present. Things in this category should be avoided as much as possible.
Category 'D' is typically for things that are more harmful than beneficial. While consuming/doing something unhealthy once in a blue moon shouldn't hurt, we definitely recommend eliminating 'D' items as a regular part of your routine/diet.
Category 'F'
Category 'F' is for things that fail to bring anything beneficial to the table, and are very harmful to your health. We recommend completely avoiding anything in this category. Long-term side effects of 'F' items are usually very serious.
Category 'N'
'N' stands for neutral. Things placed into this category are generally (a) neither good nor bad for you, or (b) lack the necessary evidence to reach any conclusions.
Long answer
Sausages should be consumed in moderation. They generally contain both red meat and processed meat. Both have been linked to higher rates of stomach and bowel cancer and should be eaten sparingly. If you have a family history of cancer that's linked to the consumption of red or processed meats, you may want to avoid sausages entirely.
Sausages are made from meat, and meat is bad for you in general. A massive Harvard study tracked the diets of 130,000 people for more than three decades. They found that calories from animal proteins leader to quicker deaths and an increased risk of heart disease. Swapping animal proteins out for vegetables similarly leads to longer lives and lower rates of heart disease.
Sausages also fall into the category of processed meats - their shelf life has been extended by salting, curing, or smoking. The World Health Organization's cancer arm declared in 2015 that processed meats ranked with cigarettes and arsenic as a leading driver of cancer. Consuming a 50-gram portion of processed meat daily, according to their report, increases the risk of bowel cancer 18%.
This doesn't mean that sausages should be cut entirely from the diet. It does mean that you should be judicious and sparing in your consumption of sausage. This is especially true if you’re already predisposed to cancers of the stomach or the bowel. Talk to your doctor or nutritionist about safe levels of sausage consumption based on your individual and familial medical history. A good general rule to abide mine is no more than a pound of red or processed meat in a week.
Red and processed meats are also linked to higher rates of heart disease. Again, If you're predisposed, consider reducing or eliminating red meat products like sausage from your diet.
Sausages contain high enough levels of salt and fat to cause a number of chronic problems when consumed regularly. Read the labels in the supermarket and choose sausages that have lower levels of salt and fat. Too much salt and fat can increase your blood pressure, your levels of bad cholesterol, and your risk of contracting certain cancers and diseases.
Sausages made from turkey and poultry are significantly healthier than their red meat cousins. Consider buying turkey or poultry dogs if you're attached to sausage but want to reduce the levels of red meat in your diet. Turkey and poultry sausages aren’t red meat, but they’re still processed meats, so the dangers discussed above still apply.
Possible long-term side effects
- bowel cancer
-
stomach cancer
-
heart disease
-
heart attack
-
increased blood pressure
-
increased cholesterol
Ingredients to be aware of
Benefits
- good source of:
-
protein
-
iron
-
vitamin b-12
Please turn your Ad Blocker off to see this content. Thank you!
Approved by 
