Really?
One
teaspoon (4 g, 0.14 oz) of bacon grease has 38 calories (160 kJ).[SUP]
[37][/SUP] It is composed almost completely of
fat, with very little additional nutritional value. Bacon fat is roughly 40%
saturated.[SUP]
[37][/SUP] Despite the
potential health risks of excessive bacon grease consumption, it remains popular in the cuisine of the
American South.
Nutrients
Four 14-gram (0.5 oz) slices of bacon together contain 7.45 grams (0.26 oz) of fat, of which about half is monounsaturated, a third is saturated and a sixth is polyunsaturated, and 7.72 grams (0.27 oz) of protein.[SUP]
[38][/SUP] Four pieces of bacon can also contain up to 800 mg of sodium, which is roughly equivalent to 1.92 grams of salt. The fat and protein content varies depending on the cut and cooking method.
Health concerns
A 2007 study by
Columbia University suggests a link between eating
cured meats (such as bacon) and
chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. The preservative
sodium nitrite is the probable cause,[SUP]
[39][/SUP][SUP]
[40][/SUP] and bacon made without added nitrites is available. Bacon is usually high in salt and saturated fat; excessive consumption of both is related to a variety of health problems. See the articles on
saturated fat and
salt for more details.
Researchers from the
Harvard School of Public Health found in 2010 that eating processed meats such as bacon, preserved by smoking, curing or salting, or with the addition of chemical preservatives, was associated with an increased risk of both heart disease and diabetes.
