Bacon Nutrition Benefits and Facts

Nutritional summary

Bacon is a significant source of solid fats (a category including saturated and trans fats) and sodium in the American diet .
Regular consumption is consistently linked to an increased risk of chronic diseases, with a systematic review finding that eating two slices of bacon per day is associated with a two-fold higher incidence of type 2 diabetes .
High intake of processed meats like bacon is well-established as a risk factor for several cancers, specifically colorectal, colon, rectal, and lung cancers .
While institutional guidelines recommend moderating intake to reduce disease risk, some researchers note that the certainty of evidence in certain meat studies is low, leading to ongoing debate regarding the strength of specific dietary recommendations .

Interesting fact

The phrase 'bringing home the bacon' dates back to 12th-century England, where a church in Dunmow promised a side of bacon to any married man who could swear before God and the community that he had not quarreled with his wife for a year and a day.

Standout nutrients

EPIC

SOURCE

Chloride

EPIC

SOURCE

Sodium

SUPER

SOURCE

Thiamin (Vitamin B1)

ELITE

SOURCE

Niacin

251

kcal per 100g

Protein15.8g

Fat20.5g

Carbs0.14g

Fat breakdown

Polyunsat2.59g

Monounsat8.80g

Saturated7.35g

Trans0.09g

Seasonality

Not available

Diet

Gluten FreeDairy FreeKetoPaleo

Sustainability

Moderate

Pork production generally has lower emissions than beef but higher than poultry or plant proteins.

Confidencehigh

Storage

Refrigerate

1–2 weeks

Keep in original packaging until use; once opened, use within 1 week.

Freeze

1–3 months

Quality declines after 1 month due to salt content accelerating rancidity.

Flavour

Data & Sources

Harmonized from 2 validated sources

French Food Database

1 contributing source food

McCance & Widdowson

3 contributing source foods

Claim citations

Red and processed meat consumption and risk of incident coronary heart disease, stroke, and diabetes: A systematic review and meta-analysis - PMC

[1]pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

News: Eating just one slice of bacon a day... (CNN News) - Behind the headlines - NLM

[2]www.ncbi.nlm.nih.govncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Processed meat intake and chronic disease morbidity and mortality: An overview of systematic reviews and meta-analyses - PMC

[3]pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Red and Processed Meats and Health Risks: How Strong Is the Evidence? - PMC

[4]pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Awareness of and reactions to health and environmental harms of red meat among parents in the United States - PMC

[5]pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Consumption of red meat and processed meat and cancer incidence: a systematic review and meta-analysis of prospective studies - PubMed

[7]pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Overview of Health and Diet in America - NCBI - NIH

[11]www.ncbi.nlm.nih.govncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Coverage

Nutrients

FoodCompass

28.6

Version

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