Oct 16 2007
The Great Hot Dog Debate
The Great Hot Dog Debate
Part of sustainability is keeping people yourself healthy so that later on you can avoid costly medical treatments and medicines that could be avoided. Sustainability includes efficiency and economy. In this post, I’ll explore how a common chemical found in hot dogs is portrayed in two very different lights in the public eye, as a cheap medicine and a carcinogen.
The Pro: “Savor Life”™ Sodium Nitrites are LifeSavers®
For every point, there is a counter-point. For as bad as sodium nitrite is purported to be, the National Institutes of Health, is considering sodium nitrate as an effective and cheap remedy for, “sickle cell anemia, heart attacks, brain aneurysms, even an illness that suffocates babies.” The findings revolve around the fact that the same way the chemical can protect deli meats, it can protect your tissues. In low levels and in a response to trauma, i.e. a heart attack, sodium nitrate acts as a protection mechanism.
The Con: Sodium Nitrites are BNB (Bad News Bears)
Unfortunately, during the industrial revolution chemical utilization boomed. Seemingly inert ingredients used in 1960 are considered carcinogenic today. Among these ingredients to experience awesome growth is Sodium Nitrite. Used to preserve the look and texture of meat, it’s found everywhere meat is. In its initial form it isn’t dangerous, but as it is digested, our bodies transform the chemical into something called nitrosamine a cancer causing chemical.
Most processed meats include Sodium Nitrite to fend off botulism (bacterial infection) and maintain color and texture. With the advent of modern refrigeration to ward off bacterial growth, sodium nitrite is more often used for aesthetic purposes like keeping bologna and bacon pink.
It’s been widely suggested that high amounts of sodium nitrates in your diet aren’t very good for you. Personally, I won’t give up hot dogs, even those that use the chemical, but like everything else that I’ll write about, I encourage everyone to think about the choices. Small choices over a lifetime add up to a lot. See my post about Nalgene Safety and the accumulation of toxins in your body. There are options like sodium nitrite free hot dogs, bacon, and deli meats.
CONCLUSION:
Although they may be bad for you in high doses and in unnecessary foods, your body considers them potent ammo against various diseases. Everything in moderation…
One response so far
“It you were a hot dog would you eat yourself? i know i would. i’d be so delicious. i’d cover myself in relish and, and brown mustard, i’d be so delicious, so would ya?
- i dont know
dont jerk me around norm. it’s a simple question, a baby could answer it. if you were a hot dog, and you were starving, would ya eat yoruself?
-i guess so
you made a wise choice my friend. if you’d have save no, i would have bitten your ear off. i would have come at you like a tornado made of arms and teeth and, and fingernails