Challenging processed meat risks for dry-cured ham consumption

By Dr. Priyom Bose, Ph.D.Reviewed by Lauren HardakerApr 7 2026

New evidence challenges assumptions about processed meats, suggesting that not all cured products carry the same cardiometabolic risks when consumed in moderation under controlled conditions.

Study: Effects of Dry-Cured Ham Consumption on Cardiometabolic and Vascular Health in Adults: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Human Intervention Studies. Image credit: Nomad Pixel/Shutterstock.com

Scientists recently conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis to determine whether consumption of dry-cured ham influences cardiometabolic and vascular health in adults. The findings are published in Foods.

Dry-cured ham: A nutritionally distinct processed meat with potentially differential cardiometabolic effects

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the leading cause of mortality and disability worldwide, with cardiometabolic risk factors, such as elevated blood pressure, dyslipidemia, impaired glucose metabolism, and chronic low-grade inflammation, playing a central role in its etiology and progression. Dietary risk factors have been consistently identified as major contributors to cardiometabolic morbidity and mortality, highlighting diet as a cornerstone of prevention and risk-reduction strategies.

Epidemiological research has established associations between processed meat intake and increased risk of cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, and all-cause mortality, though these effects may be partly confounded by heterogeneity in fatty acid composition across products. Traditional dry-cured hams differ substantially from industrially processed meats: prolonged curing promotes proteolysis and peptide generation without thermal processing, potentially yielding physiological effects distinct from those of restructured or highly processed products.

Dry-cured ham is also distinguished by its high proportion of monounsaturated fatty acids, particularly oleic acid, which is associated with more favorable cardiometabolic risk profiles compared with processed meats higher in saturated fat. It is a source of bioactive peptides generated during curing, with potential angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitory, antioxidant, and endothelial-modulating properties relevant to blood pressure and vascular health.

Despite these distinctive characteristics, most observational studies and meta-analyses continue to aggregate dry-cured ham with other processed meat products, potentially masking food-specific associations. Several human studies have evaluated dry-cured ham consumption under controlled dietary conditions, reporting largely neutral effects, with some modest favorable signals in specific outcomes such as blood pressure, lipid profile, and endothelial function; however, the available evidence remains fragmented and has not been systematically synthesized with a specific focus on dry-cured ham.

Review methodology: Eligibility and evidence sources

The current systematic review and meta-analysis evaluated the effects of dry-cured ham on cardiometabolic and vascular markers in adults, with blood pressure and lipid profile as primary outcomes and endothelial function, inflammatory biomarkers, and oxidative stress as secondary outcomes.

In this review, eligible studies had to enroll adults aged 18 or older, assess consumption of dry-cured ham as a whole food, compare it with a usual diet, a ham-free diet, or an alternative protein source, and measure at least one cardiometabolic or vascular health marker. Only randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and non-randomized prospective intervention studies were considered, as these designs allow for direct assessment of how diet affects health outcomes over time.

All relevant studies were obtained from PubMed/MEDLINE, Web of Science, Scopus, and CENTRAL, from inception to the most recent search date, combining controlled vocabulary and free-text terms related to cured ham and health outcomes.

Dry-cured ham shows neutral to favorable effects across cardiometabolic and vascular outcomes

Eight full-text articles were assessed for eligibility, of which five clinical trials met the inclusion criteria. All research considered in this review was published between 2003 and 2022, and comprised randomized controlled trials, a prospective quasi-experimental study, and a non-randomized dietary intervention.

The five studies enrolled a total of 315 participants, with sample sizes ranging between 21 and 102. The weighted mean age of participants was 45 years, though one study focused specifically on older adults with a mean age of around 71. Female participation varied widely across studies, with women accounting for approximately half of the overall sample. All studies were conducted in Spain and evaluated specific Iberian dry-cured ham products, tested as whole foods at daily doses of 40 to 120 grams over 4 to 8 weeks.

Blood pressure outcomes were largely neutral across trials. Modest reductions in ambulatory systolic and diastolic blood pressure were observed in individuals with cardiometabolic risk factors, while healthy adults showed no significant changes. Across lipid parameters, several trials reported favorable shifts, including increases in high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol and reductions in low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol and triglycerides, with no significant changes in global cardiovascular risk score or body weight. Taken together, the evidence suggests that moderate dry-cured ham consumption does not adversely affect lipid parameters, though there is some inconsistency across trials.

Beyond lipid parameters, individual trials reported favorable effects on endothelial and inflammatory markers, including reductions in plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 (PAI-1), inflammatory cytokines, and platelet activation, alongside improved microvascular vasodilatory response, suggesting potential modulation of vascular and immune-endothelial function.

One small, non-randomized study in older adults reported favorable shifts in oxidative stress markers, including increased antioxidant enzyme activity and reduced lipid peroxidation, suggesting that acorn-fed Iberian ham may beneficially influence the balance of oxidative stress.

In the meta-analysis, pooled estimates showed a statistically significant reduction in total cholesterol of 5.37 mg/dL, while no significant effects were observed for LDL, HDL, or triglycerides. For blood pressure, diastolic blood pressure was significantly reduced, whereas systolic blood pressure and fasting glucose remained unchanged.

Substantial between-study heterogeneity was observed across outcomes (with I² values often exceeding 90 %), and sensitivity analyses yielded results comparable to the main analyses, with no meaningful change in direction or statistical significance. Notably, quantitative meta-analyses were based on a subset of randomized controlled trials with comparable outcomes, while other endpoints were synthesized narratively due to heterogeneity.

All randomized controlled trials were rated as having some methodological concerns, primarily related to selective reporting and open-label design, though no critical sources of bias were identified. The two non-randomized studies were rated at serious risk of bias due to uncontrolled confounding; their findings were nonetheless retained and interpreted with caution.

Conclusions

The systematic review and meta-analysis found that moderate consumption of Iberian dry-cured ham (40–120 g/day) does not adversely affect conventional cardiometabolic risk markers in adults. Pooled analyses showed small but significant reductions in diastolic blood pressure and total cholesterol, with no significant effects on other lipid or glycemic parameters. However, the findings do not indicate that dry-cured ham is cardioprotective.

These findings are based on a small number of short-term intervention studies using intermediate biomarkers rather than clinical endpoints, and may partly reflect the foods that dry-cured ham replaced in the diet. Additionally, because all included studies were conducted in Spain using specific Iberian ham products, the findings may not be generalizable to all types of processed or cured meats.

However, the limited number of trials, short intervention durations, and high between-study heterogeneity preclude firm conclusions. In the future, well-designed RCTs are needed before considering any revision to existing dietary guidelines.

Download your PDF copy by clicking here.