The expression "hot diggity dog" can be traced back to at least 1928.

As singer Al Jolson wrapped up his recording of "There's a Rainbow 'Round My Shoulder," he can be heard saying, "Hot diggity dog ... didn't I tell you you'd love it?"

Americans love that hot dog, too — and not just at the ballpark. We spend $2.5 billion annually in supermarkets on that encased mystery meat.

But the health consequences of ingesting the processed and/or cured wiener are, well, not so hot.

In 2015, the World Health Organization definitively linked eating 50 grams of processed meat a day to an 18 percent increase in colon cancer risk.

And a study published in the journal Thorax found that cured meats literally can take your breath away.

Researchers revealed that people with asthma who ate cured meat (bacon, salami, corned beef, pepperoni, pastrami, and prosciutto treated with nitrites) at least four times weekly were 76 percent more likely to have worsening lung function — especially if they were overweight.

The problem may stem from nitrites — preservatives that knock out bacteria in cured meats but can cause inflammation and damage your body's cells as well.

But one thing's for sure: You'll breathe easier if you dodge nitrate-laden dogs, say "no" to lunchmeats, and opt for vegetable proteins like nuts and beans, and lean proteins like skinless poultry and salmon.