Know2eat

Canadian bacon

Sus scrofa domesticus

What canadian bacon has been studied for

2 associations assessed — 1 with at least some human evidence behind it. Strongest first.

  • 1 Limited
  • 1 Insufficient
4 things to know first — allergies, interactions and intake limits

About canadian bacon

Cured and smoked pork loin sliced into rounds, much leaner than streaky belly bacon because it is made from the eye of the loin rather than from fat-layered belly. The USDA entry named here is the pan-fried product.

Also known as Back bacon, Peameal bacon, Rasher bacon

Muscle & Physical PerformanceHeart Health

The evidence in depth

Best supported: Limited

What each association actually rests on, and the papers behind it. A rating describes the state of the research, not how impressive the food is. How we rate evidence.

Muscle protein synthesis

Muscle & Physical Performance
Limited evidence

May support muscle protein synthesis as a lean complete protein. That is true of the pork loin it is made from, but the processed meat classification and sodium content are the more important facts about this food, and no trial has used cured pork for this outcome.

Limited evidence. Early human work, or mostly lab and animal research.

1 source

Deep research mode adds each paper’s own conclusion and stated limitations.

Healthy blood pressure

Heart Health
Insufficient evidence

Evidence is limited for this food specifically, but the direction of the sodium evidence is not in doubt: reducing sodium intake lowers blood pressure on average in trials, and cured meats are a leading contributor to sodium intake in many diets.

Insufficient evidence. Not enough human research to say anything useful yet.

2 sources

Deep research mode adds each paper’s own conclusion and stated limitations.

Ask about Canadian bacon

Ask about Canadian bacon

Answers are written only from the entries on this page — the same nutrients, compounds, claims and citations you can read above. Nothing is added from outside the database, and every answer lists what it was built from.

AI explanations are not switched on for this site, so there is nothing to ask here. Everything above is read straight from the database and does not need them.

Key nutrients

Nutrient content per 100 grams
NutrientAmount% DV
Macronutrients
Calories146 kcal7%
Protein28.3 g57%
Total fat2.78 g4%
Carbohydrate1.8 g1%
Fibre0 g0%
Total sugars1.2 g—
Water62.5 g—
Fats
Saturated fat1.04 g5%
Monounsaturated fat1.25 g—
Polyunsaturated fat0.485 g—
Cholesterol67 mg22%
ALA (omega-3)0.011 g—
EPA (omega-3)0 g—
DHA (omega-3)0.0010 g—
DPA (omega-3)0.0060 g—
Linoleic acid (omega-6)0.364 g—
Vitamins
Vitamin A0 µg0%
Vitamin C0 mg0%
Vitamin D0.2 µg1%
Vitamin E0.41 mg3%
Vitamin K0.2 µg0%
Thiamin (B1)0.669 mg56%
Riboflavin (B2)0.185 mg14%
Niacin (B3)9.99 mg62%
Pantothenic acid (B5)0.72 mg14%
Vitamin B60.28 mg16%
Folate4 µg1%
Vitamin B120.43 µg18%
Choline105 mg19%
Minerals
Calcium7 mg1%
Iron0.56 mg3%
Magnesium27 mg6%
Phosphorus309 mg25%
Potassium999 mg21%
Sodium993 mg43%
Zinc1.73 mg16%
Copper0.063 mg7%
Manganese0.016 mg1%
Selenium50.4 µg92%
Other measured compounds
Beta-carotene0 µg—
Alpha-carotene0 µg—
Lycopene0 µg—
Lutein + zeaxanthin0 µg—
Caffeine0 mg—
Ash4.6 g—

Nutrient values are per 100 g of the USDA reference entry named on this page and vary with variety, growing conditions, storage and preparation.

Source record: Canadian bacon, cooked, pan-fried (USDA FoodData Central, FDC ID 168383).

% DV uses the FDA Daily Values for adults and children aged 4 and over. A dash means no Daily Value has been established for that nutrient.

Bioactive compounds

Compounds present in meaningful amounts. Presence is banded rather than quantified, because whole-food levels vary enormously with variety, growing conditions, storage and preparation.

How preparation changes things

Only effects with real support are listed. If a preparation method is missing, it is because nothing dependable is documented — not because it makes no difference.

  • friedIncreases nitrosamines and heterocyclic amines

    High-temperature frying of nitrite-cured pork raises nitrosamine formation measurably compared with gentler cooking, and browning the surface hard also forms heterocyclic amines. Lower heat and shorter cooking reduce both.

Things to know

Allergies, interactions and intake concerns. Every food gets this section — a reference where everything is uniformly good is not a reference.

  • Too much

    Processed meat and the IARC Group 1 classification

    The IARC classifies processed meat, which means meat preserved by salting, curing, fermentation or smoking, as Group 1: carcinogenic to humans, on sufficient evidence for colorectal cancer. Group 1 describes how confident the evidence is, not how large the risk is. The associated increase in colorectal cancer risk is modest in absolute terms and rises with the amount eaten. Canadian bacon is cured pork and belongs in that group despite being lean.

  • Too much

    Sodium

    Curing is a salt process, and a couple of slices supply a substantial share of a day of sodium. Leanness does not lower the salt content; if anything, the flavour depends on it.

  • Too much

    Nitrite and N-nitroso compounds

    Nitrite is used in curing bacon for colour, flavour and control of Clostridium botulinum. Under heat and in the stomach it can form N-nitroso compounds, one of the mechanisms proposed for the colorectal cancer association. Products cured with celery powder are cured with nitrite from a plant source and are not chemically different in this respect.

  • Worth knowing

    Frying temperature

    Bacon fried hard enough to crisp forms nitrosamines and heterocyclic amines in the browned surface. Cooking it more gently and avoiding blackened edges reduces the amounts formed.