ENN Twitter
Nitrites in Meats Fingered in Rise of Diseases
The rising rate of diabetes, Parkinson's disease, and Alzheimer's may be linked to nitrites and related compounds -- found in hot dogs, bacon, potatoes and fertilizers, among other common products.
Nitrites are already known to cause cancer. A new study suggests that low doses of these chemicals can also have serious effects on the brain, that certain age-related diseases are caused by more than just aging, and that there might be simple things people can do to help prevent them.
ADVERTISEMENT
The link is still in the hypothesis stage, experts say, and there's unlikely to be just one explanation for a host of complicated diseases. Still, lead author Suzanne de la Monte is already making efforts to avoid nitrates herself.
