Nitrates

2024 Author: Jasmine Walkman | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 08:29

Nitrates are chemical compounds (salts of nitric acid) that are widely used in the food industry (as preservatives and colorants); in agriculture / for fertilization with mineral fertilizers /; for the production of paints, glass, plastics, medicines and others.

Nitrates are most common in fertilizers, and hence in vegetables. An important problem when they get into the soil is the fact that they are quickly washed away and the water cycle quickly brings them to the water basins, including drinking water.

Nitrates enter the human body through food and drinking water. The allowable amount nitrates in drinking water is up to 50 mg / l. RIPCHP inspectors monitor the levels of nitrates in the water.

Harms from nitrates

Nitrates do not in themselves pose a danger to the body. Above a certain concentration, however, they have a vasodilating effect and lower blood pressure. This is not considered a serious problem, especially when used normally.

However, when nitrates react under a certain temperature or chemical interaction, they are converted into nitrites. They enter the body and bind to hemoglobin.

The essence of hemoglobin is its property to be a dynamic compound of oxygen - at one pressure to receive oxygen, and at another - to give it away. Thus, hemoglobin becomes a major transport factor of oxygen, an important guarantor of respiration. It is this property of hemoglobin that nitrites stop.

By binding to hemoglobin, they result in a permanently unchanging compound that is not hemoglobin and therefore does not have the properties to bind to oxygen. This condition is known as methemoglobinemia.

When nitrites enter the body after 4-6 hours, shortness of breath, nausea, diarrhea, bruising of the skin and visible mucous membranes occur. At the same time the person feels weakness, dizziness, sometimes there are seizures, palpitations, pain in the back of the head.

The use of water and food high in nitrates for a long time leads to the development of allergies, thyroid dysfunction, affecting the nervous system and musculoskeletal tract. Impaired metabolism can cause the development of various diseases.

Nitrate foods

Foods that tend to be ingested in large quantities nitrates, are zucchini, spinach, lettuce, beets, cabbage, broccoli, green beans. Mineral water is also a potential source of large quantities nitratesbecause it is not always subject to constant monitoring. Usually up to 80% of nitrate intake in the body is from vegetables.

Nitrates they are still a key component in the production of various foods - meat, fish, dairy and others. Their use is clearly regulated, especially as an antibacterial agent and preservative.

Consumption of water contaminated with chemicals or nitrates is especially dangerous for pregnant women and young children. There is evidence that water high in nitrates has led to abortions in some women.

Treatment of foods with nitrates

First of all, try to buy only fresh vegetables that have a nice dark green color. Keep in mind that there are more in large vegetables nitrates, and the explanation is quite simple - to reach too large sizes were fertilized more often. The hard parts of leafy vegetables have the largest amount nitrates, so remove them.

In cucumbers and zucchini, nitrates are found in the peel, so peel them better. During the cooking of vegetables, nitrates pass into the water. Do not leave it to cool, but pour it immediately, otherwise the nitrates will return.

It is recommended to season salads not with vinegar, but with lemon juice, because it contains a large amount of vitamin C, which does not allow nitrites to turn into nitrites and nitrosamines.