4 ms·

Wouldn't it be more accurate to say nitrite & nitrate are killing us?

• rexpop 9y ago
  Ah, but is it nitrite that is killing us, or the subsequent chemical reactions? We can become more pedantic, or more useful, but they are both accurate levels of abstraction, and one is more useful.
  • fjsolwmv 9y ago
    Nitrosamine, created by cooking nitrates with meat
• JumpCrisscross 9y ago
  Doesn’t appear to be unique to nitrites and nitrates. “Processed meat includes hot dogs, ham, bacon, sausage, and some deli meats. It refers to meat that has been treated in some way to preserve or flavor it,” with processes including “salting, curing, fermenting, and smoking” [1]. [1] https://www.cancer.org/latest-news/world-health-organization-says-processed-meat-causes-cancer.html https://www.cancer.org/latest-news/world-health-organization...
  • mtgx 9y ago
    The article seems to say that meat that uses nitrates and nitrites is worse than other "processed meat" in general. It's like the worst kind of processed meat.
  • IBM 9y ago
    Does this include chicken and turkey that you get at the deli counter at the grocery store?
• inanutshellus 9y ago
  No, not according to the article. It says that lettuce and other veggies have nitrites and don't cause cancer but the chemical reaction of meat with saltpeter causes the meat to become a carcinogen.