Why Is It Bad To Feed Children Hot Dogs?
Hot dogs have become a recurring “food”, especially for children, which can be very harmful due to the nitrites they contain
The dogs hot are a popular fast food worldwide. We cannot deny that at some point in our lives we have been attracted to its delicious taste. However, beyond this quality and how easy it is to prepare them , the dogs hot can become very harmful to health because processed meat already using chemical additives that often has both its sausage and the sauces and bread. You want to know more?
The dogs hot , one of the “food” favorites
Being such an attractive fast food to most people, hot dogs have become one of the favorite foods of all children. The industry knows that the child population is fragile when it comes to choosing their diet and, regardless of the damage that they may suffer in the future, they promote this food making it almost irresistible for both young and old.
It is true that eating a hot dog from time to time does not do much harm to the body. However, what worries nutrition experts is that more and more people and, especially children, consume this food frequently in their day-to-day lives.
Why are hot dogs so harmful?
The World Health Organization (WHO) has already highlighted the risks of frequently eating sausage meats such as sausages. This is because they tend to have high content of fats, sodium, purines, oils, refined flours, sugars and chemical components that, in the long term, affect health.
In fact, in its latest study, the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) classified as Group 1 or carcinogenic for humans processed meat (sausages, ham, corned beef and dried meat, preparations and sauces based on of meat).
This categorization is based on sufficient evidence from epidemiological studies showing that the consumption of processed meat causes colorectal cancer. With this, the IARC points out that reducing the intake of these foods can reduce the risk of colorectal cancer.
In short, it is better to avoid both hot dogs and hamburgers served in fast food establishments and other processed “foods”.
The key is in the nitrites
Studies have found that hot dogs contain significant amounts of nitrites, which are used to preserve food and make it look fresh.
When the puppy’s sausage is in the process of cooking, the nitrites combine with the amine present in the meat, forming carcinogenic N-nitroso compounds.
These components, known as carcinogens, have been the subject of research and have been linked to an increased risk of colon and other organ cancer.
What other foods contain nitrites?
Vegetables, especially leafy greens, also contain low amounts of nitrites. However, this case is completely different, since this type of food could reduce the risk of developing cancer.
At first it could be considered to be contradictory, but the explanation why these nitrites are not harmful lies in the fact that in this case they do not form N-nitroso compounds from amines, as the sausages of hot dogs do .
The nitrites that vegetables contain are fortified with vitamin D and C, which have the ability to inhibit the formation of N-nitroso compounds. Therefore, vegetables are very healthy, safe and suitable for the diet.
On the other hand, it should be remembered that all processed meats contain harmful and carcinogenic nitrites, including some fish, hamburger meat and bacon.
Keep in mind…
Not all hot dogs or hot dogs contain N-nitroso compounds. In fact, on the market there are different types of hot dogs and sausage meats that do not contain these types of compounds in their ingredients and we can consume them with more peace of mind.
To differentiate and recognize those that can be eaten with more confidence, keep in mind that those that contain nitrites tend to have a more red and attractive color, which makes them look fresh all the time. Instead, those that are safer to eat are paler and less attractive in color.
