Sodium Nitrate, Good Or Evil

It's amazing how many chemical additives there are in processed food. A little of this, a little of that and it's all done to enhance the taste of the food we buy. Or is it? The FDA has allowed tons of chemicals for consumption by consumers. Some were grandfathered in like sodium nitrate, that's used to kill bacteria and preserve color in meats. It has been used for centuries in the meat curing process. But is it safe?

It is difficult to determine how safe something is by studies conducted on other animals. One problem is the time involved. We humans live longer than the animals used in a study. All animals have a different biological make up and dietary needs. Something that may poison us can make a healthy lunch for something else. Animals are anatomically biased. Also time and quantity are factors that are usually manipulated to acquire study results. The only accurate information will come in the form of autopsies conducted on humans in the future. This will shed light on the actual safety these chemical have had on us.

In Natural terms the only non-organic substances our bodies are designed to intake are water, salt and trace minerals found in edible plants and animals. Even though you may believe that just a trace amount will not hurt you in the long run, think about this. A trace in one food item most certainly won't hurt you but how many do you consume that actually contain a trace. These traces add up and they all don't leave your body very quickly. As you get older these traces add up and can then cause problems later on in life.

What kind of problems? Sodium nitrate and potassium nitrate, both food additives, are also known by another name, Saltpeter. There were rumors back in World War One that the army was adding saltpeter in the soldiers food to prevent them from from getting erections. This would prevent them from contracting any sexually transmitted diseases while on leave. This was never proven. This does bring to mind a possible cause of today's illness ED (erectile dysfunction). Maybe it's the consumption of too many food products containing these additives. Maybe instead of taking drugs you can just change your diet!

There are a lot of chemicals being pumped into processed foods. The best remedy is to eat as much fresh foods as possible and making better choices when we eat out. Also consumers are the force to change what corporations produce. It may take time, but when consumer buying changes, manufacturers change with us. Take MSG in soup for instance. The major soup manufacturers are now removing it from their products thanks to consumers and how they spend their money.

Thanks for listening and stay warm

Bill