Hot dogs are a big controversial food because most people are very unsure what is put in hot dogs. Hot dogs are easy to cook and easy to eat, just pop them into the microwave and eat! Why are hot dogs so bad for you? Children who eat more than 12 hot dogs in a month increase their risk of developing childhood leukemia by 9 times. Two other reports have the same issue of Cancer Causes and Control suggest that children who are born to mothers who eat at least one hot dog a week during pregnancy are doubling their child’s risk of developing brain tumors.
Hot dogs contain nitrates which are additives. Three studies have found that the consumption of hot dogs can increase your child’s risk of developing cancer. The relationship between the intake of certain foods and the risk of leukemia in children from birth to age 10, found that children who eat more than 12 hot dogs a month have nine times the normal risk of developing leukemia.
Nitrates are used as preservatives to combat botulism. During the cooking, process nitrites combine with amines naturally in the meat which forms carcinogenic N-nitroso compounds. It is also believed that nitrites can combine with amines in the human stomach to form N-nitroso compounds. These compounds are carcinogenic and have been associated with cancer of the mouth, urinary bladder, esophagus, stomach, and the brain.
Vegetables also contain nitrates, but it is believed that consuming the vegetables acts as a counteraction. Vegetables are effective in reducing the risk of cancer. Nitrites in vegetables also have vitamin C and D, which inhibits the formation of N-nitroso compounds. All cured meats also contain nitrites.
You will be glad to know that, not all hotdogs contain nitrites. But, because of modern refrigeration, nitrites are used in more for the red color they produce than preservation. Nitrite free hotdogs are a brownish color which has limited their popularity. So here are some tips.
-Don’t buy hot dogs that contain nitrites and do not let your children eat more than 12 hot dogs a month.
-You can request your supermarket to start carrying nitrite free hotdogs.
-You’ll want to contact the local school board and find out if the schools are serving nitrite hot dogs in the cafeteria if so, request they start using nitrite free hotdogs only.
-You can write the FDA a letter and express your concern that nitrite hotdogs are not labeled for their risk of cancer to children.
Sources:
http://health.usnews.com/
http://articles.latimes.com/
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