In the old days, fresh vegetables and fruits were available only during the harvest season, now - all year round. True, out of season they are expensive, but this is not bad. The trouble is that the so-called early vegetables not only do not bring any benefit, but can also cause significant harm! The fact is that most of the gifts of nature, coming to us in tens of tons from hot countries, carry a huge amount of nitrates and pesticides - substances that protect plants from attacks of pests and accelerate their growth. And even if laboratory testing reveals an increased concentration of these toxic substances, there is no legal regulation for withdrawal from the market. So consumer safety remains the work of the consumer himself. Therefore, it is necessary to know several important facts.
What are nitrates?
Nitrates are inorganic compounds, salts of nitric acid, without which no plant can develop. Nitrates are found both in organic (manure, ash) fertilizers and in inorganic ones produced by industrial methods. For humans, nitrates are poisons and slags. At the same time, our body itself produces such compounds, but they are completely excreted by the kidneys, intestines and skin. If this process of elimination is disrupted, the person becomes seriously ill. It is clear that when we consume nitrates in large quantities with food, we provoke diseases, significantly reloading the excretory organs. How can you deal with this?
How to recognize?
It is necessary to know that nitrates are not located on the "periphery" of a vegetable or fruit, but occupy its core. So, with cabbage everything is simple - you just need to remove the stump. Do approximately the same with apples, cutting out the core. When choosing early carrots, beets or potatoes, take the one that is smaller in size: overgrown root crops are a clear sign of an excess of nitrogenous fertilizers. Likewise, with cucumbers: small, with a thin thorny skin, pale and rapidly fading contain a minimum of nitrates, and large, thick-skinned - on the contrary. It is more difficult with tomatoes: it is difficult to judge the excess of nitrates by their appearance. The tomato needs to be cut - a white core indicates an excess of nitrates. You need to choose greens by their appearance: the juicier the leaves look, the richer their color, the more nitrates they contain.
Where are the nitrates less?
Ask the seller or read on the label where these or those fruits or vegetables came to our country. As a rule, in countries with a stable warm climate and fertile soils, there is no great need for adding nitrates. The safest are fruits and vegetables grown in equatorial and subtropical countries - in South America, South Asia, in Africa. But European and Turkish fruits often contain an excess of nitrates.
It is believed that nitrates can be digested, but this has not been confirmed in practice. Boiled carrots or beets contain no less harmful additives than raw ones. But the correct salad dressing or sauce for a side dish can become a real protection against the harmful effects of nitrates. To do this, their composition must include ingredients that block the transformation of nitrates into nitrites in the body (the latter are an order of magnitude more dangerous in terms of toxic effect). These helpful helpers include all citrus fruits, especially lemons, oranges and grapefruits. If the food is washed down with freshly squeezed juice from these fruits, the danger of nitrate poisoning is minimal. Pomegranate juice, balsamic vinegar, vegetable oil also have a nitrate-blocking effect.
