Bacon and turkey bacon: the lighter swap carries more salt per slice

Across 43 randomized trials run between 1983 and 2024, blood pressure was higher at higher salt intake, graded from under 5 g to over 15 g a day, though a continuous trend across studies was not significant. Those trials tested salt and never bacon itself. It matters here because turkey bacon, the usual lighter swap, carries more sodium per slice than pork. US survey data put a medium cooked slice at 8 g for pork bacon and 11 g for turkey bacon, which works out to about 143 mg of sodium against about 222 mg, recalculated from 100 g values. Per 100 g microwaved, turkey bacon does have less energy and saturated fat, 368 calories and 6.9 g against 476 calories and 11.6 g for pork, from one USDA record each. Observational data link bacon with type 2 diabetes. In an umbrella review of cohort meta-analyses, each two slices a day went with a hazard ratio of 2.07 (95% CI 1.40 to 3.05), and turkey bacon was not analyzed separately.

How much is actually in it

• Per 100 g microwaved, USDA lists pork bacon at 476 calories with 11.6 g saturated fat and turkey bacon at 368 calories with 6.9 g, while sodium is 1783 mg against 2021 mg. — USDA SR Legacy records for microwaved pork bacon and microwaved turkey bacon (n = 2 records) Evidence E source
  Energy 476 vs 368 calories, saturated fat 11.64 vs 6.93 g, protein 39.0 vs 29.5 g, sodium 1783 vs 2021 mg per 3.5 oz (100 g)
• Across 69 restaurant samples of cooked pork bacon, sodium ranged from 1280 to 2590 mg and fat from 25.8 to 47.9 g per 3.5 oz (100 g). — USDA Foundation Foods samples of cooked restaurant pork bacon (n = 69 samples) Evidence E source
  Sodium mean 1830 mg (range 1280 to 2590), total fat mean 36.5 g (range 25.8 to 47.9) per 3.5 oz (100 g)
• The UK composition table gives grilled back bacon 1390 mg sodium and 21.6 g fat per 3.5 oz (100 g), a leaner cut than typical US streaky bacon. — CoFID record for grilled back bacon rashers (n = 1 record) Evidence E source
  Energy 287 calories, protein 23.2 g, fat 21.6 g, sodium 1390 mg per 3.5 oz (100 g)

What a real portion looks like

• A medium cooked slice is 8 g for pork bacon and 11 g for turkey bacon, so a turkey slice carries about 220 mg of sodium against about 140 mg for pork. — FNDDS portion records for cooked pork bacon and cooked turkey bacon (n = 2 foods) Evidence E source
  Medium slice 8 g vs 11 g; sodium per slice about 143 mg vs 222 mg on the microwaved SR Legacy values

What cooking and storage change

• By the USDA table for broiled or fried bacon, cooking keeps 90% of sodium and B12 but only 45% of thiamin. — USDA retention factors for the pork products group, bacon broiled or fried (n = 1 method) Evidence E source
  Retained: thiamin 45%, iron 80%, sodium 90%, niacin 90%, vitamin B12 90%, zinc 100%
• Cooking shrinks both bacons, so sodium per 3.5 oz (100 g) rises from 751 to 1783 mg for pork and from 1069 to 2021 mg for turkey bacon. — USDA SR Legacy records for raw and microwaved pork and turkey bacon (n = 4 records) Evidence E source
  Pork water 46.7 to 20.4 g, turkey water 61.8 to 34.5 g per 3.5 oz (100 g)
• Five raw bacon samples in US processor data exceeded 4-log CFU/g of Clostridium perfringens, while no cooked sample exceeded 2-log. — Raw bacon and 3141 cooked ready-to-eat meat product samples from three US processors (n = 3141 cooked samples) Evidence C source
  5 raw bacon samples above 4-log CFU/g; 0 cooked samples above 2-log CFU/g

What it does to your health

• Across prospective cohorts, each two slices of bacon a day went with about twice the risk of type 2 diabetes. — Adults in prospective cohort studies pooled in meta-analyses (n = 53 meta-analyses in the umbrella review) Evidence C source
  HR 2.07 (95% CI 1.40 to 3.05) per two slices a day
• Observational data link high bacon intake with a 37% higher risk of gastric cancer. — 12 cohort and 30 case-control studies (n = 42 studies) Evidence C source
  RR 1.37 (95% CI 1.17 to 1.61), high vs low intake
• An umbrella analysis of 137 gastric cancer associations rated bacon as one of only two risk factors with strong epidemiologic evidence. — Meta-analyses of observational studies on gastric cancer risk factors (n = 76 articles, 137 associations) Evidence C source
  Bacon graded strong evidence as a risk factor
• In a randomized crossover trial of 20 healthy men, two weeks of replacing 240 g a day of red and processed meat with mycoprotein cut LDL cholesterol by 12.3%. — Metabolically healthy male adults (n = 20) Evidence B source
  LDL -12.3% (P = 0.02), total cholesterol -6.74% (P = 0.02) from baseline over 14 days

Safety, limits and interactions

• A meta-analysis of 43 randomized trials found blood pressure graded with salt intake across below 5, 5 to 15 and above 15 g a day. — Participants of salt intake RCTs, 1983-2024 (n = 43 RCTs) Evidence A source
  Graded association of higher salt with higher BP; continuous study-level trend not significant
• In a survey of 747 British adults, cured meats supplied 65% of dietary nitrite, and the regions with higher nitrite intake owed it mainly to eating more bacon. — People aged 15-74 in four regions of Britain (n = 747) Evidence C source
  Cured meats 65% of nitrite intake; mean food nitrite about 1.4 mg a day

Who this works differently for

• Among 582 hemodialysis patients, eating bacon predicted greater fluid overload. — Hemodialysis patients in 37 Portuguese centers (n = 582) Evidence C source
  Bacon consumption predicted greater hyperhydration, adjusted for age, sex, diabetes and dialysis duration

What is still unknown

• In a crossover feeding study of 12 volunteers, urinary syringol sulfates rose 2 and 12 hours after eating smoked meat products such as bacon, a candidate marker of smoked meat intake. — 12 volunteers in a crossover intervention, 474 EPIC participants for validation (n = 12 + 474) Evidence B source
  AUC 0.78 to 0.86 for short-term and 0.74 to 0.79 for habitual smoked meat intake

The bottom line

Pork bacon varies a lot. Across 69 samples of cooked restaurant bacon, sodium ran from 1280 to 2590 mg and fat from 25.8 to 47.9 g per 3.5 oz (100 g), and USDA has no such sample set for turkey bacon. The UK table gives grilled back bacon, a leaner cut with a different cure, 1390 mg of sodium and 21.6 g of fat per 3.5 oz (100 g). Cooking concentrates both kinds. Water loss takes sodium per 3.5 oz (100 g) from 751 to 1783 mg in pork bacon and from 1069 to 2021 mg in turkey bacon, though the raw and cooked records may come from different products. The USDA retention table for broiled or fried bacon, dating from 1975, keeps 90% of sodium and vitamin B12 and 45% of thiamin. Observational data from 12 cohort and 30 case-control studies link high bacon intake with a 37% higher risk of gastric cancer (RR 1.37, 95% CI 1.17 to 1.61), and case-control designs dominate that pool. An umbrella review of 137 gastric cancer associations graded bacon as one of only two risk factors with strong epidemiologic evidence. That grade describes how solid the evidence is and carries no effect size. In a randomized crossover trial of 20 healthy men, two weeks of replacing 240 g a day of red and processed meat with mycoprotein lowered LDL cholesterol by 12.3% from baseline. The meat arm was red and processed meat in general, and bacon was never tested alone. Food questionnaires measure smoked meat poorly, and a urine marker studied in 12 volunteers and 474 European adults is one attempt to fix that. The cautions come from salt, cure and cooking. In a 1987 survey of 747 British adults, cured meats supplied 65% of dietary nitrite, and the regions with the higher nitrite intake owed it mainly to eating more bacon, with turkey bacon never measured. Five raw bacon samples in US processor data held more than 4-log CFU/g of Clostridium perfringens, and none of 3141 cooked samples exceeded 2-log, which supports cooking bacon through. Among 582 hemodialysis patients in Portugal, eating bacon predicted greater fluid overload, an observational finding with no effect size in the abstract. We have no card on bacon in pregnancy, in children or alongside medicines.

Sources

1. bvtb-r3-01 · USDA FoodData Central SR Legacy, dataset
   Pork, cured, bacon, cooked, microwaved (FDC 168321): energy 476 kcal; protein 39.01 g; fat 34.12 g; saturated fat 11.644 g; sodium 1783 mg per 100 g. Bacon, turkey, microwaved (FDC 171639): energy 368 kcal; protein 29.5 g; fat 25.87 g; saturated fat 6.933 g; sodium 2021 mg per 100 g
   USDA FoodData Central, SR Legacy 2019, FDC 168321 and 171639 · checked 2026-09-29
2. bvtb-r3-02 · USDA FoodData Central Foundation Foods, dataset
   Pork, cured, bacon, cooked, restaurant: Sodium, Na 1830.0 mg, range 1280.0-2590.0, 69 samples; Total lipid (fat) 36.5 g, range 25.8-47.9, 69 samples
   USDA FoodData Central, Foundation Foods release 2026-04-30, Pork, cured, bacon, cooked, restaurant · checked 2026-09-29
3. bvtb-r3-03 · CoFID 2021, dataset
   Bacon rashers, back, grilled (CoFID 19-500): Energy 287 kcal; Protein 23.2 g; Fat 21.6 g; Sodium 1390 mg per 100 g
   CoFID 2021, Public Health England, code 19-500 · checked 2026-09-29
4. bvtb-r3-06 · USDA FNDDS 2021-2023, dataset
   Pork bacon, smoked or cured, cooked (FNDDS 22601000): 1 medium slice (yield after cooking) 8 g. Turkey bacon, cooked (FNDDS 24208500): 1 medium slice (yield after cooking) 11 g
   USDA FNDDS 2021-2023, FDC 2705889 and 2706135 · checked 2026-09-29
5. bvtb-r3-04 · USDA Table of Nutrient Retention Factors, Release 6
   BACON,BROILED/FRIED (Retn_Code 1456): thiamin 45%; iron 80%; sodium 90%; niacin 90%; vitamin B12 90%; zinc 100%
   USDA Table of Nutrient Retention Factors, Release 6 (2007), code 1456 · checked 2026-09-29
6. bvtb-r3-05 · USDA FoodData Central SR Legacy, dataset
   Pork, cured, bacon, unprepared (FDC 168277): sodium 751 mg; water 46.74 g. Pork, cured, bacon, cooked, microwaved (FDC 168321): sodium 1783 mg; water 20.38 g. Bacon, turkey, unprepared (FDC 174592): sodium 1069 mg; water 61.83 g. Bacon, turkey, microwaved (FDC 171639): sodium 2021 mg; water 34.46 g per 100 g
   USDA FoodData Central, SR Legacy 2019, FDC 168277, 168321, 174592, 171639 · checked 2026-09-29
7. bvtb-r3-14 · Prevalence survey
   Although five bacon (not RTE) samples exceeded 4-log CFU/g C. perfringens, none of the cooked samples (regardless of process deviations association) exceeded 2-log CFU/g, suggesting that the high initial levels in the raw product were vegetative cells which were eliminated during the cooking process and therefore would not grow during cooling.
   J Food Prot, 2026 · checked 2026-09-29
8. bvtb-r3-07 · Umbrella review of cohort meta-analyses
   Quality of evidence was also high for the association for increased incidence of type 2 diabetes with higher intake of red meat (for an increment of 100 g/day, 1.17 (1.08 to 1.26)), processed meat (for an increment of 50 g/day, 1.37 (1.22 to 1.54)), bacon (per two slices/day, 2.07 (1.40 to 3.05)), and sugar sweetened beverages (for an increase of one serving/day, 1.26 (1.11 to 1.43)).
   BMJ, 2019 · checked 2026-09-29
9. bvtb-r3-08 · Meta-analysis of observational studies
   Twelve cohort and thirty case-control studies were included in the meta-analysis. ... Positive findings were also existed in the items of beef (RR: 1.28, 95% CI: 1.04-1.57), bacon (RR: 1.37, 95% CI: 1.17-1.61), ham (RR: 1.44, 95% CI: 1.00-2.06), and sausage (RR: 1.33, 95% CI: 1.16-1.52).
   PLoS One, 2013 · checked 2026-09-29
10. bvtb-r3-09 · Umbrella review
    Only 10 associations had strong epidemiologic evidence, including 2 risk factors (waist circumference and bacon), and 8 protective factors
    Front Public Health, 2022 · checked 2026-09-29
11. bvtb-r3-10 · Randomized crossover trial
    METHODS: We leveraged samples from Mycomeat, an investigator-blind randomised crossover controlled trial in metabolically healthy male adults (n = 20), randomised to consume 240 g/day of red and processed meat for 14 days followed by mycoprotein, or vice versa. ... RESULTS: Mycoprotein consumption led to a 6.74% reduction in total cholesterol (P = 0.02) and 12.3% reduction in LDL cholesterol (P = 0.02) from baseline values.
    Eur J Nutr, 2023 · checked 2026-09-29
12. bvtb-r3-11 · Meta-analysis of RCTs
    Random-effects meta-analyses compared standardized intake categories (high >15 g d-1; moderate 5-15 g d-1; low <5 g d-1). ... CONCLUSIONS: Across 43 randomized controlled trials (1983-2024), higher amounts of salt intake were associated with higher BP, whereas lower intake was associated with larger BP reductions, demonstrating a graded association across intake categories.
    Nutr Rev, 2026 · checked 2026-09-29
13. bvtb-r3-15 · Dietary survey
    Vegetables contributed over 90% of the nitrate intake and cured meats 65% of the nitrite intake. ... Residents of Oxford and the South-east had a higher intake of dietary nitrate, due to a greater vegetable consumption, whereas those from North Wales and the North-east had a higher nitrite intake due mainly to a greater consumption of bacon.
    Food Chem Toxicol, 1987 · checked 2026-09-29
14. bvtb-r3-13 · Observational cohort
    Consumption of bacon, savory snacks, carrots, bell peppers, cherries, and soup predicted greater hyperhydration, while rice, cookies, and grapes show the opposite effect, regardless of age, sex, diabetes, and HD duration.
    Clin Nutr ESPEN, 2026 · checked 2026-09-29
15. bvtb-r3-12 · Randomized crossover trial
    The same compounds present as sulfate esters in urine increased at 2 and 12 h after consumption of smoked meat products (hot dog, bacon) in the intervention study.
    Am J Clin Nutr, 2019 · checked 2026-09-29