Cancers of every type abound in today’s society, and as we move farther away from homemade meals using homegrown fruits, vegetables and fresh meats to fast foods, sodas, and pre-prepared and pre-packaged meals, the chances of developing life-changing and sometimes fatal diseases increase, despite advances in medicine.
The pancreas is a small gland near the stomach that performs two very important jobs. It releases digestive enzymes into the intestine, and it secretes insulin, our blood sugar regulator. Risk factors for pancreatic cancer include advanced age (50 years or older), smoking, diabetes and a history of inflammation of the pancreas. Researchers now claim that there is evidence that some of the foods we consume can also increase the risk of developing pancreatic cancer. However, there is still a debate on the health status of two much consumed additives in our food.
Sodium nitrate (NaNO3) and its close relative, sodium nitrite (NaNO2), are preservatives that you find in many processed meats, as well as some soups and other canned foods. Deli meats such as salami, hot dogs, pepperoni, bologna, ham, bacon and SPAM all normally contain high amounts of sodium nitrates.
Cons:
Some researchers feel the increase of pancreatic cancer is accountable to the chemical reactions that occur during the preparation of processing these meats, which can produce carcinogenic chemicals.
In the past few years, during studies of sodium nitrate and nitrite, some researchers found that people who ate more processed meats like hot dogs, bacon, jerky, cold cuts and sausage had as much as a 67 percent increase in their risk of pancreatic cancer. However, fresh fish, poultry and eggs were not related to the increase.
A seven-year study of about 200,000 men and women conducted in the 1990s yielded the following results:
• People who consumed over 40 grams a day of processed meats (one hot dog is 56g) were 67 percent more likely to develop pancreatic cancer than those who consumed the lowest amounts.
• Those who ate over 70 grams a day of red meat and/or pork showed a 50 percent increase in their risk of pancreatic cancer.
• Eating fish, poultry, dairy products, and eggs does not appear to increase risks of pancreatic cancer.
Some nutritionists claim that sodium nitrite is a dangerous, cancer-causing ingredient that has no place in the human food supply.
Pros - the facts:
Sodium nitrate occurs naturally in foods like spinach, carrots, and celery.
So what is the truth about nitrates and nitrites? The truth is that the study on nitrite and nitrate causing cancer was given much hype in the media. So much so, consumers can now buy “nitrate-free” hot dogs, bacon and other products. However, when research revealed that sodium nitrate and sodium nitrite might cause cancer was just a myth, there was no hype at all. In other words, consumers were duped.
Another fact: companies producing nitrate-free foods had to use some type of substitute for the sodium nitrate for three important reasons: it keeps the product a healthy red color; it produces a longer shelf life; it aids in the prevention of botulism. So, they came up with the idea of using celery juice. Remember reading earlier that sodium nitrate occurs naturally in celery? Adding celery juice to products loads them up on nitrates, but since it occurs naturally in celery, they are able to print, “no nitrates added” on the label. Oops, duped again! Thus far, no one has come out with a report stating that eating celery is unhealthy.
Scientists are still undecided on exactly how harmful this substance is, but they have shown that sodium nitrite reacts with stomach acid and other chemicals in the stomach to produce nitrosamines, which have been shown to cause cancer in rats when consumed in large quantities. Read that sentence again – that was large quantities in rats – far more than we, as humans, would normally ingest.
The safest strategy is to make a conscious effort to eat a well-balanced diet, and increase fresh fruits and vegetables, especially those containing higher amounts of antioxidants. However, this is a healthy boost for any part of your body.