It is increasingly difficult to find natural and healthy foods on store shelves. Low nitrate levels are one of the main indicators of their purity and safety. It will not be possible to completely eliminate them, but it is quite possible to reduce the amount of nitrates entering the human body.
What are nitrates and how are they dangerous?
Nitrates and nitrites are salts and esters of nitric acid (chemical inorganic compounds).
They are a common product of the exchange of nitrogenous substances in living organisms: plants and animals. The human body also produces nitrates. They are involved in the functioning of the cardiovascular system and regulate blood pressure.
Nitrates enter the human body as follows:
- with food of plant origin;
- with meat;
- with meat products and semi-finished products;
- with drinking water;
- with medicines.
Excessive amounts of nitrates are converted into toxic nitrites by enzymes in the human body. They enter the bloodstream, convert hemoglobin into methemoglobin, which leads to serious disorders of tissue respiration.
Nitrates contribute to the formation of pathogenic intestinal microflora. In the human body, poisonous toxins are released, and the body is poisoned.
The main symptoms of nitrate poisoning:
- sharp abdominal pain;
- nausea;
- vomiting;
- blueness of the face and nails;
- enlargement of the liver;
- bloody diarrhea;
- dyspnea;
- fast heartbeat;
- headaches;
- tiredness and drowsiness.
The constant use of foods with a high content of nitrates can cause metabolic disorders, allergies, and thyroid diseases. Nitrates negatively affect the intestinal microflora, negatively affect the human hormonal system, and can cause miscarriages and infertility.
Another negative quality of nitrates is that they can gradually accumulate in the body.
Nitrites are very dangerous for babies up to one year old. In children under three months of age, special enzymes are completely absent that restore methemoglobin back to hemoglobin. Nursing mothers need to follow a diet and carefully choose products for their diet, otherwise harmful substances will enter the child's body along with milk.
How to measure the amount of nitrates in foods
The Ministry of Health has determined the permissible norms for the consumption of nitrates.
For adults, it is considered safe to consume 0.2 mg of nitrite and 5 mg of nitrate per 1 kg of body weight per day. Drinking water norm: nitrate concentration should not exceed 45 mg / l. There are norms for the content of nitrates and for various foods.
According to the rules, all fruits and vegetables must undergo a test for the content of harmful substances before entering the store shelves. You can independently measure the amount of nitrates in foods. To do this, you need to purchase a portable nitrate tester (ecotester). Modern models are very compact, accurate and easy to operate.
It is better to buy a digital device, it is easy to use, it is affordable, and the result is quite accurate.
When choosing a meter, consider the size and weight of the device, its speed and the sensitivity of the probe. You can check products for safety right in the store.
The tester is very easy to use. You need to attach the probe to the vegetable or fruit and press the "start" button. After a few seconds, the display will show the measured value. Typically, the digital data of the meter is accompanied by color illumination. A red background means that the level of nitrates is significantly higher than normal. Some testers can additionally measure the level of radiation. Measuring radioactivity is a useful function as radiation is extremely harmful to health.
A nitrate tester can be purchased at a specialized store or ordered online.
The simplest determinant of nitrate content in food is special test strips. It is enough to attach them to a cut of a vegetable (fruit) and wait for the color indication.
How to protect yourself and reduce the amount of nitrates in foods
There are simple ways to reduce the amount of nitrate in your food.
Buy fruits and vegetables during the harvest season. For example, it is better to skip buying fresh raspberries and strawberries in winter. In summer and autumn, you can safely take apples, apricots and grapes.
Ground greens and vegetables contain less nitrates than greenhouse crops.
Nitrates dissolve easily in water, so vegetables should be washed well. Cleaning reduces the amount of nitrates by about 10-12%, and boiling (stewing) by 40-70%. However, when frying or other heat treatment, the amount of vitamins decreases along with nitrates.
Another way to get rid of nitrates is to pickle or pickle vegetables. When salted or fermented, about 50-60% of harmful substances are released into the brine.
Eat more citrus fruits. Vitamin C reduces the harmful effects of nitrates on the human body.
Cucumbers and beets are not just cut off the ends, it is in them that the highest concentration of nitrates is concentrated.
The largest amount of nitrates accumulates in the peel of fruits and stems of herbs, so it is advisable to peel suspicious vegetables (fruits) and use only leaves of spicy herbs for food.
Observe the rules for storing food. Greens, vegetables and fruits should be kept in the refrigerator at a temperature of + 2 ° C.
