Nitrates, toxic or not?
For various reasons, soils and groundwater contain a certain amount of nitrates 1 . These are natural chemical compounds. So why make a big deal about it when we find them on our plate? Where is the line between harmless and toxic?
Plants naturally rich in nitrates
Among the list of plants naturally rich in nitrates we find beets, celery and spinach. But the list is much longer. Knowing this, we are never told not to eat them or to save these vegetables for special occasions. For what ?
Processed foods with added nitrites
On your grocery store shelves, many food products have been added with nitrate salts, a food additive made from sodium nitrite. It is added to maintain freshness and color and to prevent pathogenic bacterial proliferation. Cold meats and other processed meats are perhaps the most singled out. For what ?
Panic with cold meats, but not with beets
In 2015, the World Health Organization (WHO) classified processed meats in the same group as cigarettes. They are labeled 'definite carcinogens for humans'. If one of the main reasons for this decision is the presence of nitrites, why not also blame plants?
1- Cold meats stimulate nitrite toxicity.
Cold meats are processed meats. I do not teach you anything ! Meat is an undisputed and undeniable source of protein. Once again, I'm not telling you anything! The action of amino acids (the small blocks that form proteins) on nitrate salt causes its toxicity. In fact, nitrites are basically harmless to the body. But when they come into contact with an amino acid, they become N-nitrosated compounds. It happens inside your slice of ham or your sausage before they even end up on your plate.
2- Plants naturally rich in nitrates contain good quantities of vitamins and antioxidants which help balance everything.
In addition to containing only a small proportion of amino acids, these plants are equipped with nutrients which inhibit the formation of N-nitroso compounds and which support digestion.
3- Cooking accentuates the formation of N-nitroso compounds
Before eating bacon, what do we do? We cook it, of course! In addition to the harmful combination of nitrites and proteins, cooking increases toxicity. The higher the temperature, the worse it is. Frying would be the pinnacle. Please note that I do not believe that avoiding the step of cooking meats containing nitrites is a solution to limit the damage.
4- The overall nutritional profile
Finally, if you are still not convinced of the difference between plants and cold meats, know that the overall nutritional profile of vegetables, even those rich in nitrates, is clearly more interesting than that of cold meats.
What about food combinations?
If you have chosen to eliminate cold meats from your diet, a question may be bothering you. What happens if you eat a piece of meat (not treated with nitrites) accompanied by beet puree in the same meal? Technically, the nitrates in beets should interact with the amino acids in meat to form N-nitrose compounds. But it is not so !
Once ingested, part of the nitrates is transformed into nitrites and another part is quickly absorbed by the intestine. This second portion of nitrates, harmless, will wander through the body and end its journey in the toilet.
As for the share of nitrites, this is what we must monitor. Basically completely harmless, it has the potential to transform into N-nitrosated compounds when it meets an amino acid. However, many experts 2 rely on gastric acidity to neutralize the deleterious encounter. For the definitive prevention of this alliance, vitamin C, ascorbic acid to be more precise, has proven to be more than effective.
Alternatives to nitrate salts
Really healthy alternatives for preserving cold meats are possible, but difficult to exploit. At the moment, several “natural” charcutiers are turning to celery powder. The advantage is that they can put the word nitrite- free on the packaging. The downside is that there aren't that many.
Rather than using a nitrate salt proven to be carcinogenic, we instead add celery powder/salt. Even more than beets, celery naturally contains a high level of nitrates. By using its powder, the manufacturer has all the preservative qualities of nitrate salt, without having to announce it in the ingredient list.
For the consumer, does it make a real difference? Hard to say. Where you can find relief is in the choice of company. By opting for an organic delicatessen 3 you will be entitled to a product containing celery powder, of course, but possibly in a much lower quantity than the standard set by Health Canada. And did they perhaps have the audacity to add ascorbic acid?
A glimmer of hope…
Quebec researchers are working on the development of a completely natural and harmless food additive. Inspired by foreign cultures, these scientists put the antimicrobial and antioxidant properties of certain spices to good use. Also, these spices should not contain nitrates. 6 have proven effective: clove, cumin, cinnamon, turmeric, ginger and rosemary. Their project is still not commercialized, but who knows, maybe it's coming soon!
A reading that might interest you
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1- Nitrite and nitrate are two chemical compounds made of oxygen and nitrogen. The difference between the two is the number of oxygen atoms they have. Nitrate has 3 oxygen atoms, while nitrite only contains 2. In the body, nitrates can very easily transform into nitrites and vice versa.
2- Although numerous studies have been and are being conducted regarding the absence of carcinogenicity of naturally occurring nitrates, there is still no consensus.
3- Charlevoix Organic Meats was the subject of an analysis by Protégez-vous indicating the more than modest use of celery powder in its charcuterie products.
