It’s No Nitrate November—the perfect time to dive into what nitrates are and address common concerns surrounding these compounds.
First things first…what exactly are they? Throwing it back to high school chemistry, nitrates are compounds made of nitrogen and oxygen that occur in the body, appear naturally in foods, and are sometimes added to foods as preservatives. You may have also heard of nitrites.The key difference is that nitrates have three oxygen atoms bonded to a nitrogen atom, while nitrites have only two.
How Nitrates and Nitrites Affect the Body
When we consume nitrates or nitrites, the body responds in a fewdifferent ways—depending on where the compounds come from.
If we eat nitrates from natural, unprocessed plant-based foods—think carrots, cabbage, cauliflower, broccoli, celery, leafy greens, leeks, parsley, pumpkin, spinach, fennel, and more—they canactually benefit the body. These types of nitrates act asvasodilators,opening up the blood vessels to improve flow and lower blood pressure. This vasodilation can have game-changing impacts on heart health and evenathletic performance.
However, when nitrates are added to meats—either from synthetic or natural sources—to prevent bacterial growth, avoid browning, orretain that pink color we expect from certain processed meats,it’s a different story. These nitrates and nitrites can convert intonitrosamines—thecarcinogenic compounds that have agencies like the World Health Organization (WHO) raising red flags about cured and processed meats.
In fact, this finding is so pronounced that the WHOdeemed processed meats like deli meats, ham, hot dogs, sausage, and bacon asGroup 1 substances—those carcinogenic to humans—several years ago. These meats can alsoincrease inflammation in the body and mayaffect cognitive performance.
Prime Roots to the Rescue
However, this doesn’t mean that deli meats have to be off the table altogether. For all the sandwich lovers out there—myself included—Prime Roots isa saving grace, allowing us to still enjoy the nostalgic sandos we were raised on.
Their products are entirely plant-based andcontain no sources of nitrates. This includes naturally derived additives like celery salt, which can still pose health risks when used in deli meats—even those labeled “uncured” or “natural.”
Glance at the ingredient list of Prime Roots products, andyou’ll wonder how such simple ingredients can produce a final product that tastes just like your favorite deli turkey, salami, or ham—with no meat in sight. Your friends and family trulywon’t know the difference. I use their products in salads, sandwiches (of course), charcuterie boards, festive skewer appetizers, or even straight from the package.
And beyond avoiding nitrates and nitrites altogether, Prime Roots’ positive impact goes far beyond human health—their environmental footprint is much smaller than that of the animal agriculture behind traditional deli meats. They use over 90 percent less water and land to produce their deli products compared to conventional deli meats—and as a sustainabledietitian that makes mevery happy.
By:
Christina Manian, RDN
