Nitrites in cured meat could increase lung disease risk

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Nitrites in cured meat could increase lung disease risk

Consuming more than 14 or more cured meat products per month was

associated with a 93 per cent increase in chronic obstructive

pulmonary disease (COPD),

report the authors in the American Journal of Respiratory and

Critical Care Medicine.

The nitrite content of cured meat has been proposed to be behind the

observations.

" Cured meats, such as bacon, sausage, luncheon meats and cured hams,

are high in nitrites,

which are added to meat products as a preservative, an anti-microbial

agent, and a colour fixative, " said lead author Rui Jiang.

" Nitrates generate reactive nitrogen species that may cause damage

to the lungs, producing structural changes resembling emphysema. "

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Alana