Emma Miller
The best substitutes for nitrites can be substances contained in rosemary or green tea.
Researchers have found that a number of substances found in rosemary, green tea, and Japanese reynutria can replace the carcinogenic nitrites added to processed red beef products.
According to the research, it was found that the most optimal substitutes for nitrites can be substances found in rosemary, green tea, and resveratrol, an extract of Reynoutria japonica, a weed plant originating in the Far East and spreading massively around the world.
During the research, the scientists worked on adding natural extracts of various plants, as well as their mixtures, to sausage and ham products, boiled and dried red meat. They studied the accumulation of nitrites in the feces of participants who were randomly divided into three groups depending on their consumption of meat and meat products:
- Those who ate sausage, ham, and red meat processed in the usual way
- People who ate meat products processed using PHYTOME technologies
- People who ate exclusively white meat.
As the scientists found out, the level of nitrite in the second group was significantly lower than in the first and about the same as in the third.
“Ongoing concerns about highly processed red meat often focus on the role of nitrite and its link to cancer. The PHYTOME project addressed this issue by creating processed red meat products that replace additives with plant-based alternatives. Our results show that the use of natural additives in processed red meat reduces the formation of cancer-related tumors in the body,” said one of the authors of the scientific article, Günter Kunle, Professor of Nutrition and Food Sciences.
The researchers also point out that natural additives showed some protection even in cases where the nitrite content of red meat was recorded.
“This suggests that natural additives can be used to reduce harm even in foods from which nitrite preservatives cannot be completely eliminated,” Kunle said.
In interpreting the results, the scientists focused on nitrites, which occur in the body due to nitrates in water. To this end, the researchers tested the water consumed by the participants of the scientific experiment.
It is known that the goal of the PHYTOME project is to create innovative meat products in which nitrite food additives are replaced with natural compounds from fruits and vegetables. Such biologically active compounds, also known as phytochemicals, can improve intestinal health and reduce the risk of colorectal cancer.
