Fact-checking an urban legend

@cherokeepatti I look for brands without nitrates and nitrites when I buy bacon (which I do not routinely buy anyway.)

I know someone whose chemistry PhD research was about nitrites. She had to follow her university's protocols for handling hazardous substances!

@cherokeepatti i never new this

@DrWatson Most of the health food stores and some groceries are selling uncured bacons. Nitrosamines are common in many vegetables but they are generally balanced with vitamin C. Beets have quite a bit of it and if you drink a glass of beet juice and get a headache it’s like taking a nitro-glycerin tablet for angina pains. Caretakers can test those nitro-glycerin tablets by putting one under their tongue and if they get a short headache it means that the tablets are still good and haven’t expired. I have turkey bacon maybe a couple times a month but when i do I either take a vitamin c supplement with it or eat an orange with it.

@Lilnonames And the same compounds are in a lot of hot dogs too. But you can buy uncured hot dogs. They will still have enough sodium to be respectably unhealthy! 😄

@Lilnonames If you eat a lot of processed meats with nitrites in them it can be so toxic that you could develop type II diabetes. Also beer has high levels of nitrites in it. So beer & processed meats eaten often without any vitamin c can put you on a faster track for Type II diabetes even if you don’t eat sweets.

@DrWatson I like uncured Bison hot dogs, they are sold frozen. Very expensive though. But if you ever taste one you’ll know what a real hot dog is supposed to taste like. It was worth the money to buy them due to the flavor and not to mention no chemicals. The last time I saw them in the health food store they were $12 for a package and then I didn’t see them any more after that. I was buying those Mexican whole wheat bollilo rolls and using them for buns (when I was still eating wheat). They were so good.

@cherokeepatti Yes, I have had those too. They are delicious. First time was at Wall Drugs in South Dakota. But now I can find them in stores, along with bison burgers. (I like elk burgers too.)

@DrWatson Elk is excellent. I’ve only had it a few times but it was so good.

@cherokeepatti me too