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.
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.
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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.
