Nitrate is known for its presence in processed meat, but you may get more nitrate from vegetables than from bacon or Bologna. The amount of nitrate can be reduced when cooking vegetables, but it depends on how you cook. However, reheating vegetables has little effect on nitrate content.
Cooked vegetables, including carrots, potatoes and brussels sprouts, sit on a plate. (Source: DENIO RIGACCI / iStock / Getty Images) Nitrate
A mixture of nitrogen and oxygen, nitrate present in minerals, soil, groundwater and atmosphere in. Nitrate is harmless, but the body converts nitrate to nitrite, which causes health problems. Nitrogen in nitrate contributes to plant growth, so they usually absorb nitrogen in plants, which is a common ingredient in fertilizers. This means that vegetables naturally contain nitrates. According to the New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services, a typical American diet provides about 75 to 100 mg of nitrate per day. The World Health Organization has determined that for a 130-pound adult, the daily acceptable intake is 222 mg.
Nitrate in Vegetables
If your diet is balanced, you may feel that the nitrate content of vegetables is higher than any other source. According to the New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services, if you are a vegetarian, you may consume 250 mg of nitrate per day. Although all vegetables have some nitrates, spinach, celery, beets, radishes, lettuce, kale and cabbage contain the highest concentration of his. The nitrate content of any particular vegetable depends on the soil conditions, the amount of fertilizer used and the maturity of the plant. When more fertilizer is needed than a plant crop, the plant accumulates more nitrate. This is true whether the crop is grown conventionally with synthetic fertilizer or organically used as a fertilizer. Vegetables grown without any fertilizer will contain nitrates extracted from the soil, but generally less.
Cooking Effects
The method used to cook vegetables affects the amount of nitrate they retain, but the effect of reheating is small because warm vegetables do not take long. When the nitrate is boiledLeach from vegetables; the longer they cook, the more ni you will lose. However, when you cook vegetables, you also lose the healthy nutrients your body needs. Cooking methods such as steaming, roasting and cooking ensure that the vegetables retain nutrients, including nitrates. For most people, this should not be an excess of nitrate because the average diet includes less than half of the maximum recommended intake for adults weighing 130 pounds. If you have any concerns about nitrate intake, whether you have overdose or have an impact on your health, please consult your health care provider.
Notes
Nitrate will relax blood vessels, so medications contain nitrates to relieve chest pain. Nitrate may also help lower blood pressure. However, bacteria in the mouth and intestine convert nitrates into nitrites and nitrites to interact with other substances in the body to make carcinogenic compounds. Nitrite also interferes with the ability of hemoglobin to carry life-sustaining oxygen. This is not a problem for adults, but the baby's immature digestive system makes them more susceptible to nitrite. The University of Maine Cooperative Promotion Department recommends that if you make your own baby food, avoid using high nitrate vegetables or limit the serving size of each serving to 1 to 2 tablespoons.
