Comments on: Sodium Nitrite: Another Reason to Avoid Processed Meats

By: Joan

Joan — Thu, 18 Mar 2010 03:01:46 +0000

I was curious about this a few months ago, and did some extensive internet searches, but did not find this junkfoodscience link. I’m a little suspicious of this article, since there is a study that she does not cite that shows that there are quite detectable levels of nitrosamines in cured meats, bacon being the worst. The levels were still one-tenth of what the levels were prior to 1980.
She also makes it sound like there is no valid study that nitrosamines cause cancer – when every other article I have read declares that they are widely recognized as carcinogenic. Nitrosamines were first recognized as carcinogenic when nitrite was added to animal feed containing fish, which readily converts to nitrosamine, and the animals that received this feed had high cancer mortality.
I wish I had saved the links somewhere.
Anyway, I would think it prudent to limit the amount of bacon consumed. Also, it seems that most of the nitrosamines form in the fat, so do not cook in bacon fat!

By: Cameron

Cameron — Mon, 25 Jan 2010 18:31:00 +0000

This reply comes long after the post came out, but it’s interesting and worth nothing. When reading that article I wondered about this: causation v.s. correlation. It seems here that it’s a case of correlation. I had the feeling even before the article that people who eat bacon (or cured meats) probably lean towards unhealthy eating more often than not. I think the cigarettes is the “smoking barrel,” so to speak (no pun intended).

By: todd james

todd james — Wed, 06 Jan 2010 20:08:13 +0000

Great job putting this article together, your very right on when it comes to processed meats. These facts have led more companies to rely on beef produces like my client, La Cense beef and their Grass Fed Beef approach.

By: JB

JB — Sun, 06 Dec 2009 16:13:12 +0000

Mark,
Have you read:

Cardiovascular prevention by dietary nitrate and nitrite. Am J Physiol Heart Circ Physiol. 2009 May; 296(5):H1221-3. Epub 2009 Mar 20.
[Am J Physiol Heart Circ Physiol. 2009]

By: Robert

Robert — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 04:52:14 +0000

Taken from bottom of her website pages:

“…Junkfood Science is not affiliated with any organization…”

By: bigbill

bigbill — Thu, 17 Sep 2009 14:08:59 +0000

From the pancreatic cancer study linked in this article.

“Increasing intake of dietary nitrite from animal sources was associated with an elevated risk of pancreatic cancer among men and women (highest quartile odds ratios = 2.3, 95% confidence interval: 1.1, 5.1, for men and 3.2, 95% confidence interval: 1.6, 6.4, for women). In contrast, dietary nitrate intake showed an inverse association with risk among women and no association among men.”

So cured meats are linked to pancreatic cancer, but dietary nitrate intake showed no association among men and an inverse association with women? So wouldn’t it be a better conclusion that the people that are eating more cured meats probably aren’t eating clean diets that would be more likely to cause the pancreatic cancer than the nitrates themselves?

And as for the last study for COPD:

“The study shows that the odds of having COPD were 78% higher for people who ate cured meats 14 or more times per week than those who never eat cured meats.”

This seems to show a link between COPD and cured meats. BUT this is the next sentence.

“People who frequently ate cured meats tended not to eat a lot of fish, fruit, or vegetables. They also were more likely to use tobacco than other participants; smoking makes COPD more likely.”

Hmmmm, more likely to smoke and eat diets void of fruits and veggies…which do you really think causes the COPD? Is it the smoking and an all around bad diet, or is it the nitrates?

These studies are inconclusive at best, and showing that the link between nitrates and cancer is complete BS at worst.

By: bigbill

bigbill — Thu, 17 Sep 2009 14:00:00 +0000

I have to also point out that if you look at the studies pointed out in this article stating that nitrates have been linked to cancer seem pretty inconclusive.

From the gastric cancer one:

“In conclusion, dietary modification by reducing salt and salted food intake, as well as by increasing intake of fruit and vitamin C, represents a practical strategy to prevent gastric cancer.”

No mention of nitrates in that conclusion.

From the colon cancer one:

“Of various sources of N-nitroso compounds, intake of smoked and salted fish was significantly (RR = 2.58, 95% CI 1.21-5.51) and intake of cured meat was non-significantly (RR = 1.84, 95% CI 0.98-3.47) associated with risk of colorectal cancer.”

Cured meat was non-significantly associated with it according to this.

The other studies are similarly inconclusive.

If these are the best studies you can find to show that nitrates cause cancer, I have to either say that you were lazy while writing this, or just plain wrong.

By: bigbill

bigbill — Thu, 17 Sep 2009 13:20:45 +0000

Actually Yavor, most of the sausages I see in the grocery stores that are raw are free of nitrates. Just look at the ingredients, and if sodium nitrates are not there, you are good to go.

By: Yavor

Yavor — Fri, 27 Mar 2009 09:28:15 +0000

So sausages are a no-no? Damn…

Should’ve seen it coming – something didn’t feel right with sausages…

By: Vendo

Vendo — Thu, 26 Mar 2009 19:23:44 +0000

“I’d be interested to know if she receives funding”

I love your blog and don’t want to snipe, but it seems to me that the most important point is whether she is right or wrong, not where she gets her money.

We all get our funding somewhere.