Hickory Smoked Bacon
Bacon and ham have been demonized most recently because of the nitrites used to cure them.This has brought about the 'nitrite free' products you can find at your local health food store. Are they really healthier? The short answer is no. Nathan S. Bryan, PhD, University of Texas Houston Biomedical Research Center, pulls no punches when he states, "This notion of 'nitrite-free' or 'organically cured' meats is a public deception.
The truth is these meats are cured with celery salt and a bacteria starter culture which turns the nitrates in the celery salt to nitrites.
There is a wide range of how much of the nitrates from the celery salt are converted to nitrites. But the end result is much more than would be added from a traditional method of nitrite salt. So even though it's labeled nitrite free it's loaded with nitrites.
Dr. Bryan says. Yet his biggest concern is not nitrite content but the possibility of bacterial contamination. "I think it is probably less healthy than regular cured meats because of the bacteria load and the unknown efficacy of conversion by the bacteria," he says.
If you have followed my blog for very long you know I'm a proponent of bacteria being one of the keys to enhancing or wrecking your immune system.
In this case you risk wrecking it.
This is a prime example of big business taking some highly publicized and flimsy science at best and then using it to capitalize on a trend.
The following excerpt is from Kaayla T. Daniel, PhD, CCN, the Naughty Nutritionist™
The truth is these meats are cured with celery salt and a bacteria starter culture which turns the nitrates in the celery salt to nitrites.
There is a wide range of how much of the nitrates from the celery salt are converted to nitrites. But the end result is much more than would be added from a traditional method of nitrite salt. So even though it's labeled nitrite free it's loaded with nitrites.
Dr. Bryan says. Yet his biggest concern is not nitrite content but the possibility of bacterial contamination. "I think it is probably less healthy than regular cured meats because of the bacteria load and the unknown efficacy of conversion by the bacteria," he says.
If you have followed my blog for very long you know I'm a proponent of bacteria being one of the keys to enhancing or wrecking your immune system.
In this case you risk wrecking it.
This is a prime example of big business taking some highly publicized and flimsy science at best and then using it to capitalize on a trend.
The following excerpt is from Kaayla T. Daniel, PhD, CCN, the Naughty Nutritionist™
Bring Home the Bacon
Then why do so many health experts condemn bacon and other cured meats because of their nitrite content? Well, why do fats and cholesterol still get a bum rap?
The reason is bad studies and worse publicity, with the latest shoddy work out of Harvard a prime example. According to Dr. Bryan, the body of studies show only a "weak association" with evidence that is "inconclusive." As he and his colleagues wrote in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, "This paradigm needs revisiting in the face of undisputed health benefits of nitrite- and nitrate-enriched diets." So what's the last word on America's favorite meat? Indulge bacon lust freely, know that the science is catching up, the media lags behind, and, our ancestors most likely got it right.
Until next time...
The reason is bad studies and worse publicity, with the latest shoddy work out of Harvard a prime example. According to Dr. Bryan, the body of studies show only a "weak association" with evidence that is "inconclusive." As he and his colleagues wrote in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, "This paradigm needs revisiting in the face of undisputed health benefits of nitrite- and nitrate-enriched diets." So what's the last word on America's favorite meat? Indulge bacon lust freely, know that the science is catching up, the media lags behind, and, our ancestors most likely got it right.
Until next time...
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