Nitrates & Nitrites
 

For a long time I have been wondering why we are cautioned against nitrates in our food. TSP is very adamant against nitrates.

I also have wondered if this included nitrites or not and what the difference is between the two.

Here are a couple articles that seem to indicate that nitrates and nitrites may actually be beneficial. And I couldn't find anything that was conclusive as to their adverse effects.

Could nitrate actually be good for you?

Nitrite in Meat

I am particularly confused because I have found that Hebrew National Dinner Franks make a quick, easy meal when you are pushed for time, plus they are particularly good with sauerkraut, Swiss cheese, and Thousand Island dressing. They are less salty than most and made from beef. They are Kosher, which even though I am not Jewish, means a lot to me because I know what the manufacturer has to go through to make the food Kosher. But they also contain nirtrites.

What do you think?

;-Deb

DebPenny--

Thank you! My motto is the quotation in my signature. This means that we have to be continually on guard against "knowing" things just because we've heard them so many times. Too many of those things turn out to have no basis in fact. We of all people should realize that.

I don't know if nitrates/nitrites are good or neutral. But let's not assume they are bad just because we've been told that X number of times. On that basis, we'd still be eating fat-free cheese and no meat.

Thanks again!

Sheldon

Thanks, Sheldon. What really got me was that nitrates are found in vegetables and the amount we used to get in meats (now they mostly use nitrites) was 1/10th of that we get from veges.

I'm going to eat my dinner franks. ;)

;-Deb

I have of course no scientific evidence to support what I'm saying, just a nagging feeling. I like to look at food from a paleo viewpoint upon occasion. I'm not saying it's bad or wrong..it's just something to contemplate.

Certain elements that occur naturally in foods are there for a reason. When you take those elements out and put them into other foods, your messing around with the very nature of that foodstuff.

It's not genetic modification, but it's eerily similar.

Few of us ever took the time - or probably even thought - to gnaw on sugar cane or chow down on sugar beets. Yet, we eagerly ate refined sugar. Hmm.

Karen

That's the thing, Karen. Nitrates occur naturally in vegetables and they convert to nitrites in your mouth.

At least that's what I understood from the two articles. And all the other ones I read (there were quite a few) said pretty much the same plus there is no conclusive evidence that nitrates/nitrites cause cancer.

I figure an occassional dinner frank won't hurt. It's not like I eat lots of processed meats, especially since I don't generally care for them. But I love my Ruebens and those dinner franks make a good-tasting meat for my breadless Ruebens.

But I do believe that we should limit processed meats because they are usually so high in salt and can cause stalls. I make my own chorizo so it's lower in salt, has no preservatives, and it tastes better than any I have bought yet. ;)

I'm not trying to convince our friends that they should go out and eat lunchmeat all the time. But it's good to read about it and make our own decisions. I started this because TSP says not to eat nitrates but doesn't mention nitrites. I was told that they're the same, but I found out that they're not, although they are related.

;-Deb

Re: Nitrates & Nitrites
 

I'm living with several allergies and -amine sensitivities, it took me some time to figure out that foods with nitrates/ites were exacerbating the problem. I've also read in many places that nitrates/ites are histamine triggers.

The problem I find in both of those articles is that there are far too many maybes and not enough definite facts... the fertilizer worker bit is a good example - I'm sure they weren't eating the fertilizer, how could a cancer or general health link be made at all?. I also wonder exactly who funded the few studies cited... since funding pretty much dictates results.

All I know is that the longer I keep chemicals and processed junk out of my diet, the better I feel. It's not that hard (...OK, it is messy) to make fresh sausage ;)

Thanks for the info, Surlymel. None of the articles I read mentioned chemical sensitivities to nirtra/ites. I have chemical sensitivities to most perfumes and cleaning products, so I know how you feel.

Right now, the only nitrites I'm eating are in those dinner franks (I've only had one in the last week) and I don't expect to have more since I don't go much for bacon and don't like lunchmeats at all. And it's fun to make your own sausage. I love getting my hands dirty. ;)

;-Deb

Still cynical...
 

Hi, I've been researching what I can find on nitrates/nitrites for awhile now and that's how I found this thread, too. My gut is that I should avoid them. Not just because I've been told about them X number of times but because the research articles I've read over the years do label these items as "confirmed potent carcinogens that the body has no defense against." Many decades ago I recall reading that if we took a gram of Vit. C with our nitrite/nitrate meals that it would help neutralize the effects of this harmful chemical in the stomach. I wish I could accept that they are either good for or not harmful to us. But my gut just won't let me. So I'm looking for nitrite/nitrate free bacon... I am just this huge bacon lover! I did find a company that makes it...Valley Organics™, and since I also try to buy non-chemical, non-hormone fed meats, I'll be happy to try their products as soon as I find a store that carries them. I used to be a vegetarian but I found out years ago that I do feel so much better with meat in my diet and no carbs. I'm a long term breadaholic. It's been a hard adjustment at first to give up grains and add meat, but Atkins has really helped, even in the short time I've been doing it (I did do Atkins back in the 70's when I first heard about it and lost 30 pounds but back then there weren't as many food options as today and Dr. Atkins has progressed in his health learning, which is wonderful). The only meats I currently enjoy are chicken, bacon and occasional steaks. And I figure that if I'm going to be having so much meat in my life now, that it is logically sane to try to find the cleanest least contaminated meat available.

So... this is my first post here! I look forward to reading more topics.

Nitrite quote...
 

Here's a quote I just read on a site that sells nitrite free meats:

"About nitrates & nitrites: The evidence against the use of nitrates and nitrites in food is strong. Nitrates decay into nitrites - so need to be considered to have the same risks attached as nitrites. Nitrites interfere with oxygen distribution in the body by interacting with the haemoglobin to prevent it from carrying oxygen. Nitrites also combine with some chemicals in food to form nitrosamines - among the most carcinogenic substances that scientists have ever identified. The question seems to be not whether nitrite consumption can contribute to cancer, but how much cancer is being caused by the current rates of consumption. In 1978 the government scientists of the Food Advisory Committee reported on nitrate and nitrite use in food processing and said - "......... every effort should continue to be made to eliminate the use of nitrates and reduce nitrite levels as soon as practicable......" Twenty years on there is still no evidence that such a review has taken place; they continue to be widely used in food processing and have recently been added to the list of approved organic ingredients!"

Take it with a grain of salt if you are pro-nitrite. But remember, we've been told that flouridated water is "good " for us, too, because it hardens our teeth. But what they aren't telling us (unless we look for it) is that flouride also hardens our arteries and transports aluminum to the brain, which has been linked to Alzheimer's (sp) and other dimentias. Flouride is after all an aluminum manufacturing by-product that the industry was happy to find a "use" for. Our water!

It's difficult in a chemical-laden society to avoid everything, but I do like to pay attention enough to avoid what I reasonably can.

Thanks for the info, Shar. What I find interesting is that it is now hard to find foods with nitrates in them but there are lots with nitrites. And the author of the plan I follow (TSP) only says to avoid nitrates. I just wish they would be more specific.

As soon as she gets her BBS up, I'm going to post this question and a few others to see what she has to say.

;-Deb

Hi Deb! I talked to a butcher here the other day and he said that the nitrates were the dangerous ones and had been replaced with the nitrites and that the nitrites posed no real danger. But I couldn't find anything to back up his statements. What I found was that both the nitrites and nitrates converted into nitrosamines. I did find a store here today that carries the nitrite/natrate free bacon so I'm going to give it a go. I understand these chemicals are used for advantageous reasons, too. I'm just leary of some of them and this is one of them.

Forgive my "newbie-esque" LOL, but what is TSP? And what BBS are you referring to? Care to share? Thanks!