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Sodium Nitrite and Health

May 22, 2011 | By Angela Ogunjimi
Sodium Nitrite and Health
Photo Credit cooking bacon image by jimcox40 from Fotolia.com

Sodium nitrite is a common meat preservative and dye that has both harmful and healthful effects. Check packages of processed meats, such as bacon, hot dogs, sausage and sliced deli meats, and chances are you'll find the term on the ingredients list. Sodium nitrite is sometimes used for medicinal purposes, and it might one day be used as part of the treatment for heart attack and sickle-cell anemia patients. However, under certain conditions, sodium nitrite can break down into another substance known to cause cancer, Alzheimer's disease and fatty liver disease. Research on sodium nitrite has grown substantially over the years, and it is generally recognized as safe in small amounts.

The Basics

With the chemical formula NaNO2, sodium nitrite is a kind of salt used to cure meat. Known in some circles as "pink salt," it's also responsible for the hue in ham and other processed meats. As a preservative, sodium nitrate prevents the growth of the bacteria that causes botulism. It has also been used in people and animals as a bronchodilator and laxative. In addition to its food and medicinal applications, sodium nitrite is also used in printing textile fabrics and bleaching fibers, as well as in photography as a lab corrosion inhibitor. It's also used in the production of rubber chemicals.

Cyanide Poisoning

One of the most well-known medicinal uses of sodium nitrite is to treat cyanide poisoning. Once inside your body, such as through an injection, sodium nitrite produces a chemical called methemoglobin. This chemical attracts cyanide molecules, which can then be flushed out of your body through your urine.

Organs and Tissue

A 2005 animal study published in the "Journal of Clinical Investigation" reported that sodium nitrite might be helpful in protecting and preserving tissue and organ function in patients who have had a heart attack, abdominal surgery or an organ transplant. At low doses, but not high doses, sodium nitrite prevented cell death in the hearts and livers of mice that were subjected to experimental injuries similar to heart attack and liver disease. It reduced dead tissue by 67 percent. The study was based on previous research that reported that when sodium nitrite is injected into people, it produces nitric oxide, a molecule that helps increase blood flow. They learned this conversion only happens when levels of oxygen in the bloodstream are low, and indeed it proved quite helpful as a treatment for tissue damage.

Potential Sickle Cell Treatment

One of the characteristics of sickle cell disease, which affects between 70,000 and 100,000 Americans, is having too little nitric oxide available. A group of researchers from the National Institutes of Health tested the ability of sodium nitrite to improve blood flow in patients with sickle cell anemia, in part because of its ability to convert to nitric oxide. In the 14-patient sample, nitric oxide improved blood flow about 77 percent above baseline without any adverse effects. The authors recommended future clinical trials using sodium nitrite as part of the treatment of the disease.

Nitrosamines and Health Problems

In the 1970s, sodium nitrite came under intense scrutiny by world health authorities because it was linked to the outbreaks of cancer and liver disease in farm animals. Scientists discovered that under certain conditions, proteins in meat known as amines could combine with nitrites to form nitrosamines, which are said to cause DNA damage, oxidative stress, breakdowns in blood lipids, increased inflammation, cell degeneration and death. Brown University neuroscientists said in the "Journal of Alzheimer's Disease" that nitrosamines are implicated in the development of aging, insulin resistance, diabetes and advanced fatty liver disease, as well as Alzheimer's and Parkinson's diseases.

Cure for the Cure

Although banning the use of sodium nitrite might have seemed an obvious solution when these discoveries were first made, the removal would almost certainly increase rates of botulism poisoning. New regulations limit sodium nitrite to the minimum needed to control the bacteria. For example, in dry cured meat, food processors can use 1 oz. of sodium nitrite per 100 lbs. of meat, per USDA meat inspection regulations. In addition, vitamin C is added to these meats to lower the chance of nitrosamines forming. As a consequence, meats such as bacon --- a major nitrosamine producer when cooked at high temperatures --- are much safer to consume today.

References

Article reviewed by OmahaTyppo Last updated on: May 22, 2011

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