5 Reasons Why Loving Bacon Is Super Healthy

August 6, 2011 by Toad 100 Comments

Bacon is not unhealthy for us. It’s not a superfood either. Or is it?

It depends on how you look at it. Bacon is not nutrient rich and is not loaded with antioxidants. But when a bacon lover enjoys bacon alone or with other foods then they are put in an incredibly happy place.

When you eat bacon you come alive. You feel great and don’t think about all the stress’s of the world. If you love bacon and eat it often then you should feel zero guilt when you consume it. Bacon is to be enjoyed as a compliment to other foods. The most common is eggs but we are known to wrap every damn food on the planet in bacon. Jim Gaffigan says…

To improve other foods they wrap it in bacon. If it weren’t for bacon we wouldn’t even know what a water chestnut is. Thank you bacon, sincerely water chestnut the third.

This is so true. Bacon does make other foods awesome. Liver is one of the most nutrient dense foods on the planet. It’s not palatable to most but if you wrap it in a bunch of bacon then it becomes delicious.

On to the reasons…

1. Bacon makes unpalatable healthy foods palatable.

Cook a food that you hate in bacon fat and/or wrap it in bacon. This once hated food becomes a favorite. Think organ meats my friends.

2. Bacon reduces sugar cravings.

If you love bacon and still have sugar cravings once in a while then eat some bacon. I have no idea but it seems as if your sugar cravings will vanish at that moment for possibly the rest of the day.

3. Bacon makes us laugh.

Laughter is the world’s greatest medicine. Every single time I write a post on my facebook fan page about bacon I get tons of comments and likes. It’s hysterical to me and a lot of fun. This reduces my stress significantly.

4. Bacon is rich in Monounsaturated fat.

It is true that saturated fat raises LDL (the so called “bad”) cholesterol. There is more to this but I won’t go there. Saturated fat is also known to raise HDL (the so called “good”) cholesterol as well as lower triglycerides. Overall, saturated fat is heart healthy!

What we often forget about is the fact that bacon fat is made up of mostly monounsaturated fat. This wonderful fat raises HDL, lowers LDL, lowers triglycerides amongst many other things. You can eat an abundance of this fat and your health will improve. We like to take apart whole foods and look at single nutrients.

Why not just realize that bacon actually is healthy?

5. Bacon and eggs is one of the world’s tastiest and healthiest (breakfast) meals.

Eggs are incredibly nutrient dense and are often enjoyed with bacon. It seems that if you are eating bacon for breakfast then you are probably eating eggs too. This combination fills you up and satisfies some till Dinner! Add some dark leafy green vegetables for an overall kick ass breakfast.

Bacon. Most of us love it. Millions of us have decreased our consumption because we have been fed a lie. Literally. It sucks but I am here to assure you that it’s not unhealthy.

Do yourself a favor. Buy your bacon from a local farmers market. Ask the farmers how their pigs live. Then you decided whether or not you want to eat the bacon from that pig. Skip the grocery store bacon – it might not be all that healthy. If you eat out for breakfast once per month then don’t worry about it – eat the bacon!

Do you have any more reasons why loving bacon is super healthy?

photo credit

Filed Under: Food

About Toad

Is my name Todd or Toad? I'm a world traveler seeking true wellness. I'm not a fan of labels but the following describe me best: minimalist, foodie, entrepreneur, adventurer, writer, cook.

Bubbaj30

Add to this…

BACON pisses off vegans!! Which inturn makes me happy.
So win, win all the way around!
- http://shaunsomers.com Shaun Somers
  
  Bacon is like vegan kryptonite.
- http://primaltoad.com Toad
  
  Lol!
- Reiko
  
  That’s a horrible reason. Aren’t they pissed enough already?
  - Dana
    
    But they’re so *funny* when they get mad. Which adds to the “Bacon makes me laugh” reason Toad was talking about up there.
    - Reiko
      
      Hehe, everyone’s funny when they’re mad. Hence the existence of trolls
      But yeah… I don’t even know why bacon represents the epitome of evil-animal-food. I mean, it was annoying seeing “bacon” on every would-be vegetarian item on a menu, but it wasn’t my kryptonite. Now dairy, on the other hand….grr!
      Anyway, my theory is that vegans hate bacon because it tastes so good. Personally, I don’t understand the bacon-craze – I’m not crazy for it now, and I never craved it when I was vegetarian – but when you love something that’s supposedly bad for you, you kinda have to hate it to get over it.
      But don’t tell the vegans that bacon’s healthy! They’ll get even more mad once they find out that all the hard work they put into hating it had gone to waste! (Then again, if you like to piss off vegans, by all means…)
      - http://primaltoad.com Toad
        
        I’m not crazy for it either. I went 60 days without bacon just a bit ago and haven’t now had it for at least 2 weeks.
- Michelle
  
  Bacon doesn’t piss off vegans, ignorant fools like you do.
  - http://primaltoad.com Toad
    
    lol
  - Jenna
    
    u mad bro?
http://nograinnopain.blogspot.com Stephanie

BACON! I LOVE IT!

Reason #5 – ate that today! Made me so happy!

@Bubbaj30: ROFL! Bacon win!
Stabby

I like it! Reminds me of the Balanced Bites post on bacon but with your own spin. Bacon makes things fabulous and its unhealthiness is grossly exaggerated.

In your post it probably should raise “saturated fat raises LDL cholesterol”, you wrote that it lowers it. Not necessarily true, usually it does raise it in the short-term. But as you mentioned we don’t just eat saturated fat in bacon, we eat many types of fats. In general LDL cholesterol is NOT significantly elevated on a primal diet after a few months. Most of the LDL in the bloodstream in a healthy person is there BECAUSE WE NEED IT, and usually cholesterol needs go down after a while if people get healthy and stop damaging their bodies so that they need more cholesterol to fix it. Butter and coconut oil do have the tendency to make LDL higher than (animal fats are debatable) it would have been but that doesn’t necessarily mean it’s going to oxidize or it is reflective of damage, usually it is bad to have too little. Paul Jaminet just showed a few weeks ago that the statistically optimal range for total cholesterol in a population is 200-240. It is no secrete that the cholesterol levels advocated by statin companies does not increase longevity, it decreases it. Once you start getting past 240 total cholesterol it is probably indicative of problems like lots of damage to the arteries, but too little and you’re more likely to die http://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736%2897%2904430-9/abstract

Bacon is usually damaged during cooking and you get more AGEs when cooking sugar-laced meat, so I think that when people choose to eat bacon or other processed meats they should try to get uncured, unsweetened and they should eat it with something with a lot of antioxidants like blueberries. The best breakfast then is bacon, eggs, and berries. Few are so low carb they can’t swing that. Or if they can’t then make it a spiced wad of spinach, just something with antioxidants in it works wonders.
- http://primaltoad.com Toad
  
  I just changed that about LDL – thanks for pointing out the mistake Stabby! And, yes we do need it. And its more about the particle size!
  
  Some berries with eggs and bacon is one of the healthiest meals in the world in my opinion! One needs to look at everything!
  - Stabby
    
    If I ever get around to banging the keyboard in a pattern that produces stuff people will read I’ll let you know. Maybe I can do guest post.
    - http://primaltoad.com Toad
      
      Yes! A guest post (or more!) would be awesome. I want more guest posters. You can make it a one time thing or be a regular contributor for 1-2 times or more per month. Let me know what you would prefer to blog about!
http://shaunsomers.com Shaun Somers

Though I don’t think grocery store bacon is actually unhealthy, I would definitely agree that local farm-raised pigs would make better, healthier bacon.
Getting people to see bacon is health food is going to hinge on whether or not we can get them to see saturated fat as healthy. Despite being high in monounsaturated fat like you say, the saturated fat content is only a bit lower (approx 3:2 ratio).
We need to get the phrase “heart healthy saturated fat” into the popular lexicon!
- http://primaltoad.com Toad
  
  I agree with you. I still like to use some caution. Would you agree that grass-fed ground beef is superior to bacon?
- Dana
  
  It’s amazing to me that lard has this reputation as being a saturated fat, when I first looked at the label on a tub of lard and then looked it up on the USDA database. I don’t have the percentages exactly right, I’m pretty sure, but it’s something like 45% monounsaturated, 45% saturated, and 10% polyunsaturated. You are going to want to get some omega-3s into your diet at some point in your day if you have to use store-bought bacon instead of pastured. But aside from that, there’s a LOT of monounsaturated fat in pork, which is why you can scoop refrigerated lard out of the bucket with a spoon instead of having to use a jackhammer.
  
  There’s quite a bit of monounsaturated fat in beef, as well, even the grain-fed beef.
  - http://primaltoad.com Toad
    
    If I remember correctly, bacon is MOSTLY monounsaturated fat.
- Mike r
  
  Well, you would actually be wrong. Farm raised is better tasting, but the mass produced is engineered to be more healthy.
  - http://primaltoad.com Toad
    
    Are ya being sarcastic or are you for real saying that the mass produced is engineered to be more healthy?
Michael Day

My favorite breakfast lately is spinach, eggs, and bacon, all stir fried together and served with a side of more bacon. It’s delicious, nutritious, and has a lot of heart healthy saturated fat!
- http://primaltoad.com Toad
  
  I love that… “has a lot of heart healthy saturated fat!”
  - Kate
    
    Bam! T-shirt!
http://thebacondiarieswithtjandkylie.blogspot.com/ The Bacon Diaries

http://bacontoday.com/bouquet-of-bacon-roses/

If men used this bouquet instead of real (not bacon and therefore completely worthless) flowers women would never be sad. Unless they are vegans and then they should be shipped off to an island of skinny-fat people with weak hair and fingernails.
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http://www.engrevo.com/blog Kit Perkins

I hate to be that guy, but bacon is not exactly a health food.
Don’t get me wrong – I love it, and don’t feel guilty eating it pretty regularly. I just don’t think bacon really improves health in most cases.

You definitely need to watch the source, and try not to cook it at a high temp.

More from whole9life: http://whole9life.com/2011/05/the-bacon-bummer/
- http://shaunsomers.com Shaun Somers
  
  I enjoyed that article, it has a lot of great points. Is liking bacon somewhat sophomoric? Sure. Does promoting it get people’s attention – definitely. One of THE biggest hurdles people have with getting away from eating the SAD is the idea that fat isn’t going to kill them. If I can help people understand that they can eat heart-healthy saturated fat while both losing weight and getting healthier then that’s a good thing. Getting people to question the conventional wisdom and be open to a conversation on what healthy eating really looks like is a good thing however we do it.
  
  As for the quote in there about bacon being possibly the least healthy meat, well, that’s like calling someone the ugliest SI Swimsuit model.
- http://primaltoad.com Toad
  
  It depends on how you look at it.
- Dana
  
  It’s like Toad said. It’s not a displacing/health-reducing food, and it’s not a superfood (what Weston Price termed “the protective foods”)–it’s somewhere in between. Realistically, no one eats only protective foods their whole life, not even a traditional person.
  
  Whole9 is a valuable resource to some extent but there is this thread of almost OCD-ness running through the Paleo/Primal community and I perceive Whole9 is part of it. I don’t know where that comes from, but it’s putting a lot of people off. Healthy eating is on a continuum, rather than being an absolute, and just moving in the direction of “healthier” is going to do people a lot of good, even if they don’t have all the AGEs out of their food (which hasn’t been shown to produce AGEs *in* the body, anyway, so I don’t get what the big deal is) or their omega 3/omega 6 ratios exactly right.
  - http://primaltoad.com Toad
    
    Well said Dana!
Izzy

Ahhhhhh, bacon. I do hesitate to call store-bought bacon “bacon”, though, especially when it can be kept outside of the refridgerator for months until the vacuum-sealed pre-cooked package is opened. If it looks like frankenfood and it keeps like frankenfood….

Anyways, this’ll help explain why bacon cuts sugar cravings: http://perfecthealthdiet.com/?p=2842
- http://primaltoad.com Toad
  
  Outside of the refrigerator for months?! Have you tried this?!
  - http://shaunsomers.com Shaun Somers
    
    The pre-cooked stuff is sold in boxes on store shelves. Never has to be refrigerated I don’t think. I would never call that stuff healthy (or eat it voluntarily, either)
- Dana
  
  You’re *supposed* to be able to keep bacon outside the refrigerator for months. That’s what is meant by “cured meat.” Which development, I might add, far predates the fridge.
  
  Of course, back in the day they preserved it with real salt, not with nitrites. I’m not convinced nitrites are the bugaboo everybody says they are (and I hope I got that word right, I *always* confuse them and nitrates), but the obvious solution to the nitri/ate problem is to stop being scared of sodium. If you don’t have your insulin constantly jacked up 24/7, your kidneys know to dump any sodium you aren’t using.
Reiko

Two words: boar bacon.
- http://primaltoad.com Toad
  
  I’ve never had it… where do you find yours?
  - Reiko
    
    I get mine from a local farm that raises uncommon breeds of boar, pigs, cattle, and lamb. I’m very fortunate to have them in my area
    - http://primaltoad.com Toad
      
      What area would that be?! That’s too damn awesome. I want to be where you are!!
      - Reiko
        
        Then come visit Berkeley, California! I’ll warn you, though, the farmer’s markets here are not as cheap as farmer’s markets elsewhere. That’s because Berkeley’s full of hippies and foodies, which is both a good and bad thing. They drive up the prices for good food like crazy…but you gotta love the wack jobs who make these things available
        
        Here’s a link about Highland Hills Farm, which is where I get my boar:
        http://articles.sfgate.com/2005-07-06/food/17382175_1_heritage-turkeys-slow-food-usa-chefs
      - http://primaltoad.com Toad
        
        Well, it will be worth it staying around there for a few weeks. I found this kick ass site – http://www.airbnb.com/ – that will allow me to travel around the world for very cheap!
      - Reiko
        
        Nice!! I hope I get a chance to meet you
      - http://primaltoad.com Toad
        
        Oh you will soon! Do you know of a few other primal peeps in your area? As long as you keep following me blog then you will know where I am!
      - Reiko
        
        Hmm, I know that my boyfriend is primal. Other than him, I really don’t know anyone…Berkeley caters more to vegetarians. I’ll have to ask around (starting with the people I powerlift with )
      - http://primaltoad.com Toad
        
        I am sure there are dozens around you that are primal! Once you look you tend to find what you want to find
    - Dana
      
      Good for you for supporting them! You’re helping to keep those rare breeds in existence. *applause*
Betsy

The problem is that not everyone has easy or affordable access to locally farmed bacon. I know there certainly aren’t any weekend farmer’s markets in my area that sells it (nor do they sell organic produce, but that’s another issue). So, I’m stuck with grocery store bacon. Best I can do.
- http://primaltoad.com Toad
  
  Do you have any farmers markets around? I think you might be surprised… bacon is not that expensive at farmers markets – the best quality too!
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Betsy

We have one farmer’s market on Saturday mornings (summer only) in the parking lot of a Kmart. A buffalo meat vendor comes once a month, but that’s it for meat products. The rest is produce (non-organic), baked goods and jellies.
- http://primaltoad.com Toad
  
  Buffalo – thats awesome! So no bacon?!
http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100001733102015 Ramon Castillo

Love the the blog and the article….now I love bacon! I buy the uncured bacon from Whole Foods Market, and I love it. I have 1-2 slices per day. As far the article referenced above, I think the author made some good points. I eat bacon because I love the taste, not because it contains any significant nutrients (because it doesn’t). As long as you treat bacon as a “condiment” (as the article suggest), everything should be fine, even if you choose to have it everyday (I do). Everything needs to be put into perspective.

My final words? Anathema anyone who is a bacon hater! Touch my bacon, and I swear, I’ll kill you!
- http://primaltoad.com Toad
  
  Right on! Bacon’s the best!
Tasha

Do we really need five reasons to love bacon? One is enough. Cooking some up as we speak.
- http://primaltoad.com Toad
  
  Lol. No we do not – well, some might
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Anthony

Love the bacon. Prior to going Primal, I had eaten “grocery store” bacon for years. I recently bought some organic bacon (free of hormones, antibiotics, and other nasties, as well as being from a well-cared-for and healthily-fed hog). I got it from a wholly organic butcher nearby, and when I cooked it, I swear the taste and smell took me back about 25 years, to the early 80′s… It was like how bacon USED to taste before all the CAFO’s – real and amazing.

On another note, I noticed the exact same thing on a recent trip to Belgium, where I had a steak from local grass-fed beef. It was like I was tasting beef for the first time. Amazing.

Great post.
- http://primaltoad.com Toad
  
  Yes, pastured bacon or even organic bacon is a hell of a lot better than most bacon that is sold in regular supermarkets!
Morten G

My digestion gets upset if I feed it too much nitrate/nitrite. Or any other large amounts of preservatives. Keep that in mind if you think you could do better, health-wise. Bacon / serrano ham may be fucking with you using it’s seductive, succulent flavour.
- http://primaltoad.com Toad
  
  So are you saying you don’t eat bacon?
wayne

my X friend said that bacon is horrible inow think he is ver very gay and he can leave this contry NOW because bacon is the best food in the world
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Jack

While bacon may be visually appealing and delicious to some, it is important to be aware that it increases your risk of many types of cancer. Colon cancer and pancreatic cancer are the two main types of cancer which are known to be caused by the nitrates found in bacon and other processed meats which have been smoked. Enjoy your bacon.
- Dana
  
  They say that about red meat, too, and that’s not correct either.
- http://primaltoad.com Toad
  
  I will enjoy my bacon. Thanks
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Ellis

Unfortunately (and outrageously) we now have a billboard by us depicting bacon strips in a cigarette-type package which says: “Bacon causes rectal cancer”. REALLY? I’m so glad that we are able to paste pseudoscience up as fact for the uninformed masses to read. Didn’t they do any studies on the effects of nitrate preserved bacon vs. uncured bacon? I guess not….
- http://primaltoad.com Toad
  
  Eh, just ignore it Signs like these are comical to me these days.
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Beth

Thank you for your post!

I absolutely love bacon in the mornings! I’ve had lots of health problems and am so tired in the mornings that I used to drink caffeinated soda to help me get going.

Bacon cured that! When I have bacon and eggs for breakfast, I have more energy than I used to have with soda. I use uncured bacon from the grocery store, but am going to look for local bacon. And…it would be yummy and healthier for me to add some blueberries to my meal.

Thank you again!
- http://primaltoad.com Toad
  
  That’s awesome that bacon cured your soda addiction! I need to write a follow up post so maybe I will have to include this in one of the reasons!
  
  Blueberries compliment bacon and eggs very well
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PrimalPoise

Do you think bacon covers the hateful flavor of liver?
- http://primaltoad.com/ Todd Dosenberry
  
  I have not tried this combo yet. I would say not all of it but definitely some.
arnie

I eat 3 slices of bacon and 3 eggs with mushrooms everyday for breakfast. Brilliant !
- http://primaltoad.com/ Todd Dosenberry
  
  Lol. Why always mushrooms?
Kate Brown

Personally our favorite is Trader Joe’s Applewood Smoked nitrate free bacon. Don’t have access to “free range” straight from the producer-but seriously it’s the best bacon ever IMO. Reg bacon just doesn’t taste right now. It’s still good, we’ll eat other bacon if that’s all there is but by golly that bacon from TJ’s is the best. Highly recommend.
dave

The secret of great bacon – bake it! I lay out the strips on a cookie sheet covered with parchment, cook for about 30 minutes at 325F, flipping halfway through. Advantages – no AGEs (advanced glycation end products, unhealthy compounds in burnt food), no stovetop mess and it is delicious. If you do this once, you will never go back to frying on the stovetop!
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Cali

can women have eggs and bacon for bf every day too? what’s an appropriate amount?
- http://primaltoad.com/ Todd Dosenberry
  
  Yes women can. There is no set appropriate amount for all women. Try 2-3 eggs and a few slices of bacon and go from there. You may not want to eat this every single day but it’s your choice of course.
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Jerry Callahan

is bacon with sodium nitrite as bad as everyone makes it out to be? or do the benefits outweigh the potential risks?
- http://primaltoad.com/ Todd Dosenberry
  
  Chris did an article about that: http://chriskresser.com/the-nitrate-and-nitrite-myth-another-reason-not-to-fear-bacon