Nitrates aren't bad for you??? Bring on the bacon...

jayrudq
jayrudq Posts: 475 Member
in Food and Nutrition
http://chriskresser.com/the-nitrate-and-nitrite-myth-another-reason-not-to-fear-bacon

I don't know who this guy is, if his science is junk, but i am pretty sure I am in love with him.

Replies

  • neanderthin
    neanderthin Posts: 10,220 Member
    A case of context and dosage, again. Celery juice is now one of the more popular ways to introduce nitrates into food for preservation.
  • jayrudq
    jayrudq Posts: 475 Member
    Whoops...didn't realize he was Paleo until I went back and looked at the sight - I only read the article. I will brace myself for the sh^tstorm.
  • JoRocka
    JoRocka Posts: 17,525 Member
    meh- I eat at least a pack of bacon a week.
    In the grand scheme it's one of the smallest dents nutritionally to my breakfast/dinner.
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,865 Member
    There are numerous studies out there that indicate that nitrates aren't quite the evil they were made out to be. The original study...think it was in the 70s was extremely flawed and the folks who did that study admit as much...it's just that part didn't get as much press as, "you're all going to die if you eat bacon" part.

    Also, stuff advertised as "nitrate free" or whatever really isn't. If you look at the ingredients, it will pretty much always say "celery juice"...celery juice is nitrates...but they can claim no "added" nitrates except those occurring naturally...in fact, those meats, etc that are cured with celery juice often contain more nitrates than if someone was just to use the pink salt for curing.

    People have been curing food with sodium nitrate for forever...I'm not too worried about it.
  • Charlottesometimes23
    Charlottesometimes23 Posts: 687 Member
    No ****storm from me. I thought that the nitrate cancer link was something that was pretty well accepted but I've found a few interesting articles on Pubmed that have peaked my interest.

    http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21102328 (looks like they're affiliated with the meat industry though)

    http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20495462

    I'm keen to do some more reading on this.
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,865 Member
    I thought that the nitrate cancer link was something that was pretty well accepted

    That's because, "you're all doing to die" usually gets a lot of press, t.v., ect...the redact and subsequent studies that say, "never mind" aren't so exciting...so nobody here's about them because it doesn't make for good, entertaining "news."
  • jayrudq
    jayrudq Posts: 475 Member
    Well, personally, I am thrilled. I have eaten them anyways, risk be damned, because they are part of my diet. This just lightens the load a bit more. Bacon, hot dogs, salami. I could go on.
  • amyrob56
    amyrob56 Posts: 27
    Bacon has been a part of the "moderate fat" in my low carb (almost) no wheat and moderate fat in my weight loss journey!
  • MysteriousMerlin
    MysteriousMerlin Posts: 2,270 Member
    Just a snip:

    "Bacon is one food that Bryan agrees is a potential health risk. Bacon is especially high in nitrite and can form nitrosamines when fried at high temperatures. To avoid this hazard, Bryan recommends cooking bacon slowly and at a low temperature."

    http://www.livescience.com/36057-truth-nitrites-lunch-meat-preservatives.html

    I don't know how reliable livescience is, though.
  • jayrudq
    jayrudq Posts: 475 Member
    Just a snip:

    "Bacon is one food that Bryan agrees is a potential health risk. Bacon is especially high in nitrite and can form nitrosamines when fried at high temperatures. To avoid this hazard, Bryan recommends cooking bacon slowly and at a low temperature."

    http://www.livescience.com/36057-truth-nitrites-lunch-meat-preservatives.html

    I don't know how reliable livescience is, though.

    Buzzkill. I microwave mine. Is that high heat? And, yes, I think microwave ovens are perfectly safe. Except maybe for bacon!?!
  • JoRocka
    JoRocka Posts: 17,525 Member
    how do you sautee' your veggies in the rendering after the bacon if you do it in the microwave!!!!!

    <confused>

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