Since I ate my last Martin Rosol last night, I decided to go to Trader Joe’s today and buy some of their nitrate free hot dogs along with their delicious brioche split-top hot dog buns.
I thought I would also then take the opportunity to research why nitrates are so bad for you and why you might want to buy nitrate free hot dogs. Here’s what I found and it was shocking.
But first.
Why are nitrates bad?
Nitrates in themselves are not bad. The problem is when you cook them they can turn into nitrosamines, which are carcinogens. Eat too many hot dogs, get too many nitrosamines, and your risk of cancer goes up.
But don’t vegetables have a lot of nitrates? Does that mean they are bad too?
Some vegetables do, but since vegetables also are high in vitamin C, vitamin C is protective and can help the nitrates from breaking down into nitrosamines.
Interesting, Shouldn’t I just take vitamin C then when I eat hot dogs?
Yes! Yes! Yes! You can do that! Research actually has shown this to be true. Particularly if you wait till 30 or 60 minutes after eating the hot dog with nitrosation peaks. The Vitamin C can keep the nitrates from turning into nitrosamines and instead turn them into Nitric Oxide, which is good for you. If you don’t have vitamin C handy, you can get just eat vegetables or fruits high in Vitamin C.
Resolved: I will carry vitamin C tablets with me from now on and follow each hot dog with a vit C tab. I will also try to eat vegetables with my hot dogs when feasible. Not many hot dog joints serve vegetables.
What about just buying nitrate free hot dogs like you did to do?
Ahh, here’s the trick. The hot dogs without nitrates actually carry natural nitrates like celery powder that work the same as processed nitrates.
Anything else we can do to lower the risk?
Yes, it matters how you cook the hit dogs. Boiling is preferred because the heat is a constant 212 degrees F. Cooking over a fire is perhaps the most dangerous due to the intense heat and charring.
Does that mean you will boil all your hot dogs going forward?
No. I will not.
The mountain climber will keep climbing mountains, the sailor keep battling the sea, I will grill my dogs when I feel like it.
https://uwaterloo.ca/news/media/vitamin-c-may-help-prevent-cancer
And how was that Trader Joe Uncured Hot Dog?
Gotta tell you, it was delicious. Steamed, then grilled, laid in a butter toasted bun.
By the way, what is the acceptable daily intake (ADI) for nitrates in adults?
It is 3.7 mg per kilogram of body weight. I weigh 107.7 kg so for me the acceptable daily intake is 398.49 mg. A normal hot dog has 10 mg of nitrates. Do the math. There just may be a conspiracy against hot dogs.