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| Top Ten Unfounded Health Scares of 2007 #5 |
| Nitrites in Cured Meat Cause Lung Disease |
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| Posted: Wednesday, December 19, 2007 |
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The (Unfounded) Scare: People who eat the most sodium-nitrite-containing meats, such as hot dogs or bacon, are more likely to have chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) compared to those who eat none or very little. COPD is the fourth leading cause of death in the US.(25) It is characterized by inflammation and blockage of the airways leading to a reduction in breathing capacity. The leading cause of COPD is smoking and 15 to 20 percent of long-term smokers develop the condition. Salt and spices have been used to preserve foods and “cure” meat since the beginning of civilization. By the late 19th century, scientists had identified sodium nitrate as a substance that acted as a preservative in meat and provided the meat with a nice color and flavor. Sodium nitrate was approved as a food additive in 1906, under the earliest federal food safety laws.
In the 1920s it was discovered that sodium nitrite, a breakdown product of sodium nitrate, performed the same function more effectively, and the USDA approved it as a direct additive.(26) By the 1950s scientific studies had also shown that nitrite prevented germination of the bacterial spores that cause deadly botulism(27) in canned goods and other foods stored under airtight conditions.
Origin of the Scare: In 1970 a paper in the journal Nature concluded that nitrites reacted in the body with other agents in food to form nitrosamines – substances know to be animal carcinogens.(28) The following year Congress held hearings, and in August 1972 a Congressional committee released a report declaring “nitrites and nitrates pose a potential danger to public health.”(29) Rodent studies have shown a link between nitrite consumption and reduced lung function. In April, a new study in the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine concluded that eating cured meat was directly linked to an increased risk for COPD.(30) Critics of the study highlighted that cured meat no longer contained the levels of nitrite that were present 10 or 20 years ago – citing the fact that only 5 percent of nitrite consumption comes from cured meat.
Media Coverage: Despite the fact that the data in this study does not represent nitrite levels in cured meat today, headlines such as “Is Bacon ‘To Die For’?” and “Hot Dogs and Bacon Cause Increased Risk of Lung Disease” were widespread. The study’s author, Rui Jang of Columbia University, acknowledged, “the study’s design did not allow her to state definitively that the nitrites caused lung disease.”(31)
The Bottom Line: Nitrites have been used to cure meat for almost a century with no evidence of any risk to human health. Studies showing nitrites to be harmful have been done in high-dose animal experiments that are not comparable to the small amounts that we are exposed to as humans. In addition to this, cured meat have lower nitrites today than they did in the past – since the 1970s nitrite levels have dropped by 80 percent.(32) Most importantly, vitamin C is now added to cured meat to prevent formation of the supposedly harmful nitrosamines.(33) |
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| Table of Contents |
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Top Ten Unfounded Health Scares of 2007
Scare #1: Lipstick Is Toxic (Lead in Cosmetics) Scare #2: Fluoridated Water Jeopardizes Your Health Scare #3: Red Meat and Processed Meat Increase Cancer Risk Scare #4: PFOA Causes Low Birth Weight Babies Scare #5: Nitrites in Cured Meat Cause Lung Disease Scare #6: Roses Are Toxic Scare #7: Rubber Ducks Are Toxic (Phthalates Endanger Children) Scare #8: Vaccines Cause Autism Scare #9: Office Printers Are as Hazardous as Secondhand Cigarette Smoke Scare #10: Water Bottles Cause Cancer References |
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| Published: December 2007 |
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| Paperback |
| ISBN: N/A |
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