If you’re a fan of bacon, chances are you’ve noticed a few nitrate free bacon options in your local grocery store. But is this a healthier option than the standard stuff?
Bacon is made by curing meat in salt and water. The process, which dates back to ancient times, is used to preserve the meat and give it a pink color and sharp taste. Nitrates and nitrites are the chemicals that give bacon its pink color, and they also help prevent bacteria from growing during the curing process. There are many different kinds of nitrates and nitrites, but they all work to preserve meat. Some are naturally occurring in vegetables, like celery. Others are additives that food manufacturers can add to cured meats like bacon and jerky. Nitrates and nitrites can cause problems if they get into your body. They are known to convert in the acid environment of your stomach into harmful nitrosamines that are linked to cancer. If you have a condition that affects your digestive system, such as ulcerative colitis or Crohn’s disease, you may need to avoid processed meats altogether. If you have these conditions, nitrate and nitrite-free bacon might be right for you. However, make sure to read labels to ensure the products you buy are nitrate and nitrite-free. Some uncured bacons have a disclaimer that says they don’t use nitrates or nitrites, but they do contain other chemicals, including sodium chloride and potassium chloride, which have similar effects. These are added to the salt and water used in the curing process, and they can also be found in other ingredients. Most of these are additives, and they have been linked to increased cancer risk. Some are even harmful to pregnant women, according to WebMD. You can find nitrate and nitrate free bacon varieties in most stores. You might have to read the label carefully, but they are generally much lower in nitrates and nitrites than conventional bacon. If you want to go nitrate and nitrite-free, consider a product with only natural ingredients like fresh fruit sugars and raw organic seasonings. This will ensure that the nitrates aren’t coming from artificial sources or added in during the processing stage. Nitrate and nitrite-free bacon will still have the pink color and smoky flavor that you’ve come to love, but they won’t have any of the chemicals that are associated with health issues. These can include nitrites, sodium nitrate, and potassium nitrate. Another way to avoid nitrates and nitrites is to get your proteins from organic, pasture-raised meat. Meat from animals that have been treated with antibiotics, growth hormones, and other hormones is more likely to be high in nitrates. To counter this, you can supplement with L-arginine, a type of amino acid that helps your body produce NO, which is a compound that converts nitrates to healthy nitrites. It’s also a good idea to get more vitamin C from fruits and veggies. Read more about foods at https://www.britannica.com/topic/organic-farming. If you decide to purchase nitrate and nitrite-free Bacon, make sure it’s the high-quality kind. Choose one with the Coleman Natural label, which guarantees that it has no synthetic nitrates or nitrites.
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