Preserving meats through various methods is an age-old practice. Salt in its numerous forms has been used to preserve, bind and improve the appearance of meats and other foods. Sodium nitrite is a common additive used to cure meats. You may have read that you should limit beef in your diet. Emerging scientific evidence casts a different light, pointing at additives like sodium nitrite as potential health risks.
Purpose of Sodium Nitrite
The primary purpose of sodium nitrite is to keep meat safe to eat and improve its shelf life. It enhances the flavor of meat while delaying the development of botulism. It is sold as an additive with a bright pink color to improve the appearance of meats. A series of chemical reactions give processed meats their distinctive color. It is used for a variety of meats, including beef-based products like deli meat, hot dogs, jerky and sausages. Its role as a preservative is beneficial in that it can prevent the spread of foodborne illnesses.
Sodium Nitrite and Heart Disease
The use of sodium nitrite, however, is not without controversy. One concern is the increase in sodium intake from eating processed red meat. Sodium increases blood pressure by encouraging your body to retain water to maintain the proper concentration within it. A study by Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School, published in the May 2010 issue of “Circulation,” warns that consumption of processed meats increases your risk of developing heart disease. Unprocessed meat was not associated with a greater risk.
Sodium Nitrite and Cancer
Another concern with sodium nitrite lies with its possible association with cancer. A presentation by the University of Hawaii at the 2005 American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting found a 67 percent increase in the rate of pancreatic cancer in individuals who consumed processed meats. Researchers explained that chemical processes in the body convert sodium nitrite to carcinogenic nitrosamines. However, as the University of Minnesota Extension points out, not all processed meats contain nitrosamines or at least not in significant amounts. The findings by the University of Hawaii cast some doubt on the safety of sodium nitrite in processed meats like beef.
Potential Benefits
Despite the alleged health risk, sodium nitrite might have some health benefits. A study by the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, published in the February 2006 issue of the “Journal of Clinical Investigation,” found that sodium nitrite inhibited the growth of a bacteria associated with chronic lung infections in cystic fibrosis patients. The same way that sodium nitrite protects beef from microbes may occur within humans as well. However, to lessen risks associated with sodium intake, you should limit your consumption of processed beef products.
References
- What's Cooking America; Salt - The Spice of Life; Eileen Troeme
- University of Minnesota Extension; Nitrite in Meat; R. Epley, et al.; 1992
- "Circulation"; Red and Processed Meat Consumption and Risk of Incident Coronary Heart Disease, Stroke, and Diabetes Mellitus; R. Micha, et al.; May 2010
- Medicine Online; Processed Meats Linked to Pancreatic Cancer; April 20, 2005
- “Journal of Clinical Investigation"; Anaerobic Killing of Mucoid Pseudomonas aeruginosa by Acidified Nitrite Derivatives Under Cystic Fibrosis Airway Conditions; S. Yoon, et al.; February 2006
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