It's advisable to stay away from fatty pig products like bacon. Instead, choose leaner types that are less processed and richer in protein. Eating raw or undercooked pork might result in parasite illnesses. Taenia solium, sometimes known as the pig tapeworm, is an intestinal parasite. It's possible to get infected with T. solium if you eat food containing its larval stage, called a cyst. The worm grows inside of your body for several years before it produces eggs. These are then released through your feces and can contaminate food if you don't wash your hands after going number two. If you're not sure whether or not you've been exposed, ask your doctor about taking a stool test. They're fairly easy to do and can help determine whether you have T. solium infestation. Eating pork products can also lead to inflammation of the heart and blood vessels. This is because most of the fat content in pork products comes from saturated fats. Saturated fats increase your risk of developing cardiovascular diseases such as atherosclerosis and stroke. In addition, smoking increases your risk of developing cancer, so if you smoke then avoiding pork products may be a good idea. However, even though smoking increases your risk of cancer, there are some studies showing that non-smoking women who eat one to three servings of pork per week have lower rates of breast cancer than those who avoid this meat.