A low-carb diet can help you lose weight in a hurry. If you are a devout carnivore, a high-protein, low-carb weight loss plan may seem like your dream diet. Eating all that meat and fat, you won't even feel hungry. But before you get out your fork and knife in anticipation, take a close look at the guidelines. The newest versions of the low-carb plan have revised their stand on eating processed meats.
About Nitrates
Nitrates and nitrites are used as preservatives in processed meats to maintain color and prevent decay. When subjected to heat during processing, nitrates can be converted to carcinogenic nitrosamines, which have been linked to cancer in humans. Bacon, sausage, hot dogs, ham and deli meats are all processed with nitrates.
Nitrates Can Sabotage Your Low-Carb Diet
Some low-carb diets prescribe or allow lunch meats, cured meats and sausage. But an association has been made between nitrates from meat and stalling, or a cessation of weight loss during a low-carb diet. Some speculate that the stalling may have to do with the high fat and LDL cholesterol content of many cured and processed meats. But not all cured and processed meats are high in fat and cholesterol, yet may be implicated in stalling.
Nitrates and Inflammation
Consumption of nitrates from meats can lead to inflammation, a component of metabolic syndrome marked by a reduced ability to fight disease. According to a 2008 clinical study of adults over age 80 conducted at the Prague Medical School's Department of Internal Medicine, dietary nitrates were linked to chronic inflammation in test subjects. Choosing to include dietary nitrates in your weight loss plan could set you up for health problems later in life.
Nitrates and Cancer
Three different studies were cited in a Cancer Prevention Coalition article linking consumption of hot dogs by fathers, pregnant mothers and children to childhood leukemia and brain tumors. Researchers Angela Cross and colleagues reported in the July 2004 issue of the American Journal of Epidemiology links between dietary nitrates and pancreatic cancer. The International Journal of Cancer linked dietary nitrates to thyroid cancer in men in a November 2010 article.
Low-Carb Dieting Done Right
Weight loss diets with the best track records for maintenance are those that help you modify your dietary practices for the long haul. Diet plans that allow you to eat junk food are bound to fail because you do not cultivate a taste for healthy foods that will help keep you slim. Often, people who lose a great deal of weight on a low-carb diet revert back to poor eating habits and regain all their weight and more. For a successful weight loss experience, resolve to eat whole natural nutrient-dense foods that promote good health and longevity.
References
- Alusik, S. et al: Plasma Levels of Nitrate/Nitrite and Infammation Markers in Elderly Individuals
- Cancer Prevention Coalition: Hot Dogs and Nitrates
- Advancing Women: What Low Carb Dieters Should Know About Nitrates and Nitrites
- International Journal of Cancer: Dietary Nitrate and Nitrite and the Risk of Thyroid Cancer
- American Journal of Epidemiology, July, 2004: Cross, Angela et al: Pancreatic Cancer and Drinking Water and Dietary Sources of Nitrate and Nitrite
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