Beyond just being loaded with “artery-clogging saturated fat” and sodium, bacon has been long considered unhealthy due to the use of nitrates and nitrites in the curing process. Many conventional doctors, and well-meaning friends and relatives, will say you’re basically asking for a heart attack or cancer by eating the food many Paleo enthusiasts lovingly refer to as “meat candy”.
The belief that nitrates and nitrates cause serious health problems has been entrenched in popular consciousness and media. Watch this video clip to see Steven Colbert explain how the coming bacon shortage will prolong our lives thanks to reduced nitrates in our diets.
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In fact, the study that originally connected nitrates with cancer risk and caused the scare in the first place has since been discredited after being subjected to a peer review. There have been major reviews of the scientific literature that found no link between nitrates or nitrites and human cancers, or even evidence to suggest that they may be carcinogenic. Further, recent research suggests that nitrates and nitrites may not only be harmless, they may be beneficial, especially for immunity and heart health. Confused yet? Let’s explore this issue further.
Find out why you shouldn’t be concerned about nitrates & nitrites in bacon.
Where Does Nitrate/Nitrite Exposure Come From?
It may surprise you to learn that the vast majority of nitrate/nitrite exposure comes not from food, but from endogenous sources within the body. (1)
When it comes to food, vegetables are the primary source of nitrites. On average, about 93% of nitrites we get from food come from vegetables. It may shock you to learn that one serving of arugula, two servings of butter lettuce, and four servings of celery or beets all have more nitrite than 467 hot dogs. (2) And your own saliva has more nitrites than all of them! So before you eliminate cured meats from your diet, you might want to address your celery intake. And try not to swallow so frequently.
All humor aside, there’s no reason to fear nitrites in your food, or saliva. Recent evidence suggests that nitrites are beneficial for immune and cardiovascular function; they are being studied as a potential treatment for hypertension, heart attacks, sickle cell and circulatory disorders. Even if nitrites were harmful, cured meats are not a significant source, as the USDA only allows 120 parts per million in hot dogs and bacon. Also, during the curing process, most of the nitrite forms nitric oxide, which binds to iron and gives hot dogs and bacon their characteristic pink color. Afterwards, the amount of nitrite left is only about 10 parts per million.
And if you think you can avoid nitrates and nitrites by eating so-called “nitrite- and nitrate-free” hot dogs and bacon, don’t be fooled. These products use “natural” sources of the same chemical like celery and beet juice and sea salt, and are no more free from nitrates and nitrites than standard cured meats. In fact, they may even contain more nitrates and nitrites when cured using “natural” preservatives.
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What Happens When You Eat Nitrates and Nitrites
It’s important to understand that neither nitrate nor nitrite accumulate in body. Ingested nitrate from food is converted into nitrite when it contacts our saliva, and of the nitrate we eat, 25% is converted into salivary nitrite, 20% converted into nitrite, and the rest is excreted in the urine within 5 hours of ingestion. (3) Any nitrate that is absorbed has a very short half-life, disappearing from our blood in under five minutes. (4) Some nitrite in our stomach reacts with gastric contents, forming nitric oxide which may have many beneficial effects. (5, 6) You can listen to my podcast “Does Red Meat Increase Your Risk of Death?” for more information on this topic.
In general, the bulk of the science suggests that nitrates and nitrites are not problematic and may even be beneficial to health. Critical reviews of the original evidence suggesting that nitrates/nitrites are carcinogenic reveals that in the absence of co-administration of a carcinogenic nitrosamine precursor, there is no evidence for carcinogenesis. (7) Newly published prospective studies show no association between estimated intake of nitrite and nitrite in the diet and stomach cancer. (8) Nitric oxide, formed by nitrite, has been shown to have vasodilator properties and may modulate platelet function in the human body, improving blood pressure and reducing heart attack risk. (9, 10, 11) Nitrates may also help boost the immune system and protect against pathogenic bacteria (12, 13, 14)
So what do we take from this? There’s no reason to fear nitrates and nitrites in food. No reason to buy nitrate-free, uncured bacon. No reason to strictly avoid cured meats, particularly those from high quality sources (though it may make sense to limit consumption of them for other reasons). In fact, because of concerns about trichinosis from pork, it makes a lot more sense in my opinion to buy cured bacon and other pork products. I do.
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This article is misleading … the cancer-causing agents in bacon are nitrosamines which are formed when meat is cured using sodium nitrate.
Sorry Colin, you’re wrong. Nitrosamines are NOT formed when meat is cured using sodium nitrate. They’re formed in the presence of a nitrosamine precursor (so probably don’t melt cheese on your bacon) or when the bacon is COOKED at a ridiculously high temperature.
Or when nitrates come into contact with an acidic environment ……like, say, …the STOMACH!
Hi Chris, Quick question regarding nitrates: what about nitrates and inflammation? I was recently diagnosed with a herniated disc L5-S1 and am attempting the low inflammation diet route rather than injection. I’ve read nitrates/processed meats can increase inflammation and thus to avoid. Thanks! Julie
Woot! Sharing this article with my boyfriend. Now he can stop treating me like I am smoking a pack of cigarettes every time I want a hotdog.
Good read. The issue with Nitrites is not about fresh food – Its due to the way its cooked and hence the fact that Sodium Nitrite added to cured meat is regulated in regards to the amount that can be used. Carcinogenic nitrosamines are formed when this additive is cooked charred, this is the issue right here and why crispy bacon is worse for you than ham: https://cancerpreventionresearch.aacr…t/3/7/852.full Then you have the other additives added on top of this – especially with Big store bought bacon.
I am surprised, nitrates make me feel very unwell, dry mouthed, fatigued and an overall tiredness like the flu. Am afraid I am not convinced they are safe my body tells me strongly otherwise. Natural nitrites our body produces must be biologically different from the ones added to food, my body can cope just fine with naturally body produced chemicals. I have also seen children’s behaviour become very difficult after a high nitrate meal.
This behavior is due to the food coloring in the nitrates not the nitrates. See http://www.feingold.org.
Hello,
You use the evidence “in the absence of co-administration of a carcinogenic nitrosamine precursor, there is no evidence for carcinogenesis” to support the theory that cured meats are not carcinogenic. However, nitrates/nitrites combined with amines (found in cured meat and other foods) ARE your nitrosamine precursors. So while nitrates in foods and saliva may not pose a risk, nitrosamines produced in the process of curing meat may be carcinogenic. Manufacturers are now supposed to add acids like vitamin C to the meats to avoid as much nitrosamine production, but you do not mention this at all in the article. Can you comment on this?
How much time it take to convert eaten food into celory or fat by human body
My grandmother ate bacon and eggs EVERY day of her life. She only lived until 94 and took very few medications. Live long bacon.
Nitrites and Nitrates are beneficial, the problem occurs when the Nitrites or Nitrates ARE HEATED HIGH. When the Nitrites are HEATED HIGH they convert to nitrosamines, which is a carcinogen. DNA damage, and brain damage can happen when consuming nitrosamines.
https://healthychild.org/easy-steps/avoid-nitrates-and-nitrites-in-food/
As someone who makes my own bacon….just smoked several pounds last night, as a matter of fact…..there is no reason to use factory created chemicals in our food. The only reason for nitrites/nitrates in bacon is to preserve the color. Without this chemical, the meat portion turns greyish and doesn’t remain reddish. We no longer need to preserve bacon and hams in attics and cold cellars, we now have refrigeration and freezers. There is absolutely no need for these chemicals. I think the article is blowhard hogwash, frankly. I’ll take my food chemical-free, thank you very much. There are many chemicals in our food and environment that “studies” showed were safe, and where are we now? Glyphosates (RoundUp), DDT, hydrogenated fats, GMOs….all supposedly safe. I can’t believe you wrote such an article, the damage it does to the real food movement!
OH, and puh-leeze! There is a huge difference between any naturally occurring substance and that created in a lab. I don’t care if there are nitrates in celery or in my own saliva. I’ll add the nitrates to my pork when I drool on it.
I do get passionate about bacon….it is the perfect healthy fat. Not need to douse it in anything but good sea salt and smoke from apple wood chips. Then store it in the freezer and tolerate the color change, which is completely harmless and doesn’t even show when the bacon is cooked.
Possibly. But maybe not. You dont know but are making an assumption that because this is true with other things it is true with nitrate. It may be exactly the same.
Like.
God damn I love bacon, I would never give it up for anything, ever!
– Hanvall
Hello Chris
I red your article on nitrite. really good..
I did a research on Subway food… I have a question for you… if you would have the choice on a meat that have MSG and the other one have nitrite, which one would you choose ?.. in the nutrition data, the roasted chicken breast has MSG and no nitrite, but the ham have no MSG but have nitrite… (I would have think that the chicken would be better.. but now, I’m confused ),,,
(i really don’t eat fast food often… it’s for when you are really in a bad position.. but I’m asking this question with a scenario,..my real question is which one is the worst…MSG or nitrite??)
thanks for you help… annie
Is there any difference between nitrites made in the laboratory and “natural” nitrites found in food/saliva? By chemical composition are they exactly the same?
Surprising. Really surprising. I still don’t’ know what I think about it…
I read Dan’s comment above about nitrosamines.
I think I’m going to have to do a little more digging.
But its not the nitrates & nitrites that are the problem, its when they’re exposed to high heat and become nitrosamines. The nitrates and nitrites in vegetables also contain antioxidants, vitC etc which protects from the conversion but the same can’t be said for processed meats that are usually exposed to high heat and don’t contain antioxidants. So unless you eat the processed meats with lots of vegetables and vitC foods I think the nitrosamines will still be a problem
This is pretty good evidence of a link.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2840051/
I think it is a little irresponsible to put up an article that goes beyond provocative… and in turn may be responsible for an individual or two eating less healthy and subsequent contraction of colon cancer.
Too right. I prefer to take my nutrition advice from nutritionists.
Wha? It’s well known in the science world that on the whole, nutritionists and dieticians are amongst the least scientific, and stuck-in-big-agra-dogma ‘health’ professionals out there. Chris’ science-based approach and his legendary status as a thorough researcher who looks at all sides of the debate makes him for me, one of the most reliable sources of nutritional information out there. He’s not making this up people, he’s looking at all the research and presenting a piece based on the best research and current science.
As for “an article that goes beyond provocative”? The only ‘provocative’ and dangerous infromation out there is in the heads and mouths of those who either have a vested interest in maintaining the status quo or who are too lazy to keep up with the science.
https://time.com/4092912/nitrate-nitrite-bacon-cancer-meat/
Great article…..hotdogs/ Vienna sausage /bacon are all better for humans than any kind of fruit even organic. The amount of sugar (and yes fructose is the worst kind of sugar) in fruit is the real killer.
Interesting article although it does not allay my fears. I am to understand that nitrosamines are the main things to be wary of, and they are carcinogens. Nitrosamines are created in the stomach when nitrates have proteins to bind to. Vegetables do not provide enough protein for this to be a serious problem, lunchmeats do. Also vegetables contain anti-oxidants that combat the nitrosamines on the spot, processed proteins do not. Lastly, i do not know if it is the nitrates, the nitrites, the sodium, or other? that bothers me in processed meats, but something does, and i will get an awful vomiting migraine. if i do not eat any processed meats i do not have this problem (other than with other processed foods like dairy.)
If my understanding about nitrosamines is incorrect please educate me. Thanks.
The sodium nitrite is a vasodilator, so it opens up your blood vessels. In my case at least, my blood pressure is already pretty low, and that just causes even more of a problem. Instant migraine.
Besides the carcinogen part, research in the past 10 years at Brown University has shown that nitrosamines cause insulin resistance in the brain, which can lead to beta-amyloid plaque formation and ultimately Alzheimer’s disease. So yeah…nitrates are totally harmless lol
I raise my own pigs, feed them only scraps from Whole Foods, artesian water, and they sleep inside. They are real tasty! And they don;t give me migraines, flatulance, or pork-breath. Pass me some pig!
I am tremendously confused after reading this article. Just can’t figure out these nitrates and nitrites. Why are they either good or bad for our body. Do we need to watch the consumption of them? So….is bacon good for us or do we need the Applegate brand? Please explain a little more on laymen terms.
Thanks,