Nitrates Are Present In Produce And Processed Meat—What Does That Mean For Your Health?

The main plant sources of nitrates are:

• watercress
• beet
• Chinese cabbage
• cabbage
• carrot
• celery
• lettuce
• Calais
• green mustard
• parsley
• rhubarb
• spinach
• chard

The main sources of nitrates in meat are:

• Bacon
• Meat dishes including roast beef and turkey
• pork
• Sausage
• dried
• pepper
• sausages

Are nitrates good or bad?

We can think of nitrates as the food compounds of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Heidi. Its light or dark side depends on the source.

First, the benefits of nitrates in food

When we eat nitrates, which are found naturally in plants, our body converts them into nitric oxide, which has been shown to help relax blood vessels, which can then provide many health benefits, such as lowering blood pressure and improving circulation. This, in turn, can improve overall heart health. In 1998, three American scientists were awarded the Nobel Prize for discovering the role of nitric oxide in the cardiovascular system.

To elucidate some of these benefits, a meta-analysis of previous studies found evidence that increased intake of plant nitrates may have a positive effect on several risk factors for cardiovascular disease, including lowering blood pressure, reducing arterial stiffness, and improving endothelial function. Important for the regulation of blood clotting.

A 2021 study published in the European Journal of Epidemiology involving more than 53,000 people found that eating just 60 milligrams of nitrates from vegetables daily (about the same amount found in 1 cup of leafy greens) can significantly reduce the risk of disease. and heart. shame. Cardiovascular disease remains the leading cause of death for both men and women in the United States.

Some preliminary research suggests that high nitrate intake may also improve cognitive function, especially with age, possibly by increasing blood flow to the brain.

It should be noted that nitrate-rich plants contain many vitamins, minerals, and other health-promoting antioxidants, which is good news for your health. This is one of the reasons why it is so difficult to accurately estimate dietary nitrate intake because dietary nitrate levels vary so much. This means that studies examining the health effects of nitrates should be interpreted with caution, as higher nitrate intake may simply be a sign of increased vegetable consumption, so some of the health benefits attributed to nitrates may be due to the overall improvement in nutrition that vegetables provide a diet.

It appears that runners and other athletes can do more than just get enough plant-based nitrates in their diets. Nitric oxide, produced from nitrates, allows blood vessels to relax and dilate (dilate), which increases blood flow throughout the body, including working muscles. This is thought to improve the delivery of oxygen and nutrients to the muscles, allowing them to function better during exercise. Improved physical performance may also be due to nitrates, which increase mitochondrial efficiency. Mitochondria are the parts of cells that produce energy.

A review study published in 2021 in the Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition found that a high dose of nitrates can increase muscle strength production by about 5%. This is good news if your run includes bursts of intense effort, such as strenuous intervals, which require more muscle strength.

A separate study published in the Journal of Nutrition found that people who consumed the most nitrates from vegetables (91 mg per day, or the same amount found in 1 1/2 cups of vegetables) performed better on tests of strength and muscle function. of those who ate less. This review found evidence that nitrate supplements can help improve endurance. Drinking beetroot juice, especially a rich source of nitrates, has been shown to help improve performance during certain weight-bearing exercises, as well as speed up post-workout recovery.

But we still don't have enough data to show that the amount of nitrate someone eats from whole plant foods is sufficient to produce PR results. Most studies use a concentrated source of nitrates, such as beetroot juice. It is also possible that novice athletes may benefit more from nitrates than experienced athletes, as performance gains from nutrition and supplementation are likely to be less pronounced. Also, nitrate levels in beetroot products made for athletes can vary greatly, so it's hard to know what you're getting.

However, if the thought that eating more nitrates will help you perform better in training and racing ends up encouraging you to eat more vegetables, that's a big win.

Now about nitrates in food.

What about nitrates in bacon and sausage? You won't see many headlines hailing pepper as a heart hero or performance enhancer. How can nitrates be harmful when added to meat and good for vegetables? Since the nitrates added to processed meats (again, often to prevent the growth of harmful bacteria and improve color) are themselves fairly inert, the answer lies in how the compounds in these foods are converted into other molecules in the human body. body

Right from the start, you consume nitrates added to processed meats, which are then converted to nitrates by bacteria in your mouth, which you then ingest. A compound abundant in meat (and absent in vegetables) called heme, which gives red meat its color, appears to react with nitrite to form a molecule called nitrosylheme. This molecule likely interacts with hydrolyzed amino acid molecules — the protein fragments our bodies make when we digest the protein in meat — to form nitrosamines, compounds linked to health problems, including an increased risk of certain types of cancer. . This increased risk of disease is mainly due to DNA damage, which is basically the first step in the development of cancer.

Apparently, nitrosamines are also formed during the production and preparation of meat products containing nitrates. Higher cooking temperatures can increase the production of nitrosamines due to the reaction between sodium nitrite and meat proteins. However, cooking vegetables is unlikely to produce nitrosamines because they do not contain the amount of protein needed to form when heated. Sausages, deli meats, bacon, and deli meats appear to be some of the richest sources of nitrosamines.

A recent noteworthy report from the World Health Organization showed that for every 50g of processed meat a person eats per day (that's about three pieces of cured meat) increases the chance of developing colorectal cancer by about 18%. The World Health Organization classifies these products as Group 1 carcinogens, the same classification as tobacco.

The sudden rise in nitrosamine levels may explain why studies show that increased consumption of red meat, especially processed meat, can be detrimental to long-term health. A 2021 study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition using data from 21 countries found that eating processed meats, but not unprocessed or red meats such as beef, pork, lamb, and veal, can increase the risk of serious illness, heart seizures and death. .

It is important to put the dangers of processed meat in context. As usual, the poison is in the potion. The risk will be more real for people who eat processed meat daily than for people who eat a grilled hot dog or roast beef sandwich. You must look at things in the context of your overall diet. Eating a small amount of processed meats as part of a diet rich in nutritious whole foods may not be a major concern.

However, there are several ways to reduce the risk.

Since high temperatures can contribute to the accumulation of nitrosamines, it is recommended to cook processed meats at lower temperatures. An example of this is microwaving bacon instead of pan frying, which can reduce nitrosamine production.

Consuming plenty of vitamin C and other antioxidants can help block the body's production of nitrosamines and offset some of the potentially negative effects of processed meats. (The positive effects of this supplemental vitamin C have mostly been demonstrated in animal and laboratory studies.) This is the reason why manufacturers have started adding vitamin C to sausages.

So, if you're going to be eating foods like sausages and jerky, make sure you serve them with a healthy amount of bright greens that are rich in vitamin C and other antioxidants. But they do not necessarily provide protection against the effects of nitrosamines, which may already be present in processed meats prior to digestion.

Best Solution: Reduce the amount of processed meat you eat. This also applies to processed meats labeled "natural" or "nitrate-free". Manufacturers may label their products "nitrate-free" as long as they do not add nitrates to the product directly during production. However, some natural and organic meat preservation methods, such as using celery salt, will add nitrates to the product since celery salt naturally contains nitrates and will likely continue to produce nitrosamines after consumption through the same process discussed above. .

In fact, some nitrate-free meats, such as bacon, may contain more nitrates than regular varieties, depending on the amount of nitrate-containing natural preservative added during production.

Findings about nitrates in food

Vegetable nitrates added to meat have different effects on the body. That's why it's important to know your source. Increasing your intake of nitrate-rich vegetables may improve health and athletic performance, and there are no recommendations for limiting nitrate intake from these foods. But it's best to limit your intake of nitrates from processed meats, which have been linked to health problems. As such, the benefits of nitrates will definitely outweigh the drawbacks, even if you're an occasional hot dog lover.

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