09/09/2026
N-nitrosodimethylamine (NDMA) is a carcinogenic nitrosamine. It has not only been found in certain prescription drugs, but also in foods such as processed meat and beverages like b**r. We know NDMA can transfer through the placenta, and this may explain the relationship between consumption of cured meat during pregnancy and the risk of childhood brain tumors. Indeed, hot dog consumption during pregnancy may increase childhood brain tumor risk by 33 percent, and sausage consumption may increase it by 44 percent. Bacon consumption may increase childhood brain tumor odds by 60 to 70 percent. But, it’s not just processed meat. Researchers have also found NDMA in poultry products. Half of a chicken breast contains 110 nanograms of NDMA, which is more than the FDA's acceptable daily intake limit of 96 nanograms per day. Raw poultry doesn’t have any NDMA; it’s created during the cooking process.
Additionally, dry-heat cooking of meat, like broiling or grilling, creates airborne NDMA, releasing this "very potent carcinogenic compound" into the air. Even if you’re only eating a salad in a charcoal grill restaurant, just being indoors where meat is cooked could pose a cancer risk.
Interestingly enough, one of the best-selling drugs in history, Zantac, was pulled from the market—a drug that brought in billions of dollars—because it contained a probable carcinogen that exceeded the acceptable daily limit, but there may be even more of the contaminant in a single serving of chicken. Why aren’t they pulling the poultry off the shelves, too?
Watch the video "Cancer-Causing NDMA in Medications (Zantac, Metformin) and Meat," and see the research studies referenced at https://bit.ly/3BG5rLS.
