(NaturalNews) Avoiding chemical-loaded processed meats can be one of the most important dietary staples in terms of maintaining long-term good health. Most commercially processed meats, including beef, chicken, pork and turkey, contain countless adulterations, making regular consumption extremely risky for your health.

A diet high in processed meats has even been linked to early death, causing cardiovascular disease and cancer, according to a study that followed half a million people from 10 European countries for nearly 13 years.

According to the study, those who ate processed meat were also more likely to smoke, be obese and exhibit other risky behavioral factors known to damage health. "[E]ven after those risk factors were accounted for, processed meat still damaged health," reports BBC News.

"One in every 17 people followed in the study died. However, those eating more than 160g of processed meat a day - roughly two sausages and a slice of bacon - were 44% more likely to die over a typical follow-up time of 12.7 years than those eating about 20g," according to BBC.

"In total, nearly 10,000 people died from cancer and 5,500 from heart problems." Scientists say that if everyone in the study ate less than 20g of processed meat a day, 3 percent of the premature deaths could have been prevented.

In general, there are many reasons not to consume commercially processed meat. This article breaks down the top four reasons you should eliminate this food entirely from your diet.

1. Ammonia-injected beef destroys healthy cells

Dubbed "pink slime," ammonia-treated beef has been in use for more than 40 years. Commonly known as the primary ingredient in many cleaning products, ammonia is used to "sterilize" meat susceptible to contamination. Ammonium hydroxide, or ammonia mixed with water, is meant to remove pathogens such as E. coli and Salmonella; however, its Material Data Safety Sheet classifies it as "Very hazardous in case of skin contact (corrosive, irritant, permeator), of eye contact (irritant) [and] of ingestion."

Prolonged exposure to ammonium hydroxide can produce tissue damage on mucous membranes, negatively effecting human organs, as reported by Natural News.

"Although ammonium and ammonia are essential to proper kidney function and maintaining an acid-base balance within the body, chronic high levels of the chemical can ruin delicate blood vessels and cause harm on the cellular level."

2. Nitrates and nitrites

Added to meat in order to extend shelf life, nitrates and nitrites wreck havoc on the human body after digestion. Nitrosamines, most of which are carcinogenic, are produced when nitrites and amines combine in the acidity of the human stomach. Nitrosamines have been linked to gastric, bladder and esophageal cancer.