Nitrites Revisited

So, my good friend and blogger for Dr. Joel Fuhrman, Gerry Pugliese, posted a good piece on his blog, www.diseaseproof.com, today. It was about the health risks of consuming foods containing nitrites, and I admit that I didn't know some of this, so it's definitely worth reading the article, found here. I'll make one point of commentary on the subject, though. Although Dr. Fuhrman certainly discourages meat consumption, and would say no to any hot dog or cured meat, there are much healthier varieties available than the standard Oscar Mayer stuff. Eaten in moderation, I think these are OK indulgences, as with any meat. There are uncured versions of ordinarily cured meats that contain no nitrites (bacon, pancetta, cold cuts, hot dogs, smoked salmon, etc.). I only buy these products, and you can easily find them in the health food section of your supermarket, or in health food stores. The meats are also often organic, and the salmon should be wild (check ... even some health food stores carry Atlantic smoked salmon, which is farmed and high in mercury).

For those who are new to this blog, or just never bothered with my LONGEST BLOG POST EVER!!!, I would recommend reading Keeping Up a Pantry. It contains a list of pantry "Must Haves" and "Must NOT Haves". Nitrites were one of those food additives that I listed as a no-no. Gerry's new info does not appear there, but there's a lot of other related information that might interest you, if you're into that sort of thing (that is, if you enjoy getting very scared about the things you've already consumed).