How Dangerous Are Nitrates In Food

Author: Maryam Ayres Time for reading: ~1 minutes Last Updated: August 08, 2022

Artificially added nitrates to foods are the ones that cause intoxication. Should they be used as a preservative?

Information about nitrates is very contradictory. Most opinions are that they are extremely detrimental to our health, but this is not really the case. Nitrates are useful and necessary for plants that can metabolize them to nitrites.

Lettuce, spinach and other leafy vegetables have the highest nitrate content . These substances are not dangerous or toxic, as long as they do not exceed certain amounts. On the contrary, studies show that if nitrates are within acceptable limits and enter the human body through plant metabolism, the benefits outweigh the risks.

It should be noted that nitrates and nitrites themselves as compounds are not dangerous. Their quantity is controlled in acceptable norms in food, water and soil. Nitrates and nitrites artificially added to meat, sausages and soil are a danger to human health.

Nitrates are very often added to processed meats - sausages, meatballs, ham, bacon to improve the appearance. They give red and juicy color to the meat. Nitrates are also a preservative that stops the growth of bacteria such as Clostridium botulinum and spoilage meat products, and also gives a saltier taste, which increases appetite.

Some manufacturers claim to use nitrates to protect food from botulism. But this is also achieved by maintaining a high level of hygiene during the production process, which does not require the use of nitrates.

According to the WHO, the permissible daily intake of food and water for nitrates for an adult is 5 mg / kg body weight and not more than 500 mg. Above these norms there are already signs of intoxication such as weakness, dizziness, nausea, shortness of breath.

With prolonged exposure, for example in areas where drinking water is higher in nitrates, it is possible to develop problems with the thyroid gland, nervous system and allergies.

Indeed, the doses we take daily are many times less and the risk of intoxication is small. However, choose the sources from which you get food for your table and read the labels carefully.

How Dangerous Are Nitrates In Food

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