On counters of shops it is harder and harder to find products, natural and useful to health. Low level of nitrates — one of key indicators of their purity and safety. Absolutely to exclude them it won't turn out, and here to lower the amount of nitrates getting into a human body, quite perhaps.
What is nitrates and what they are dangerous by
Nitrates and nitrites are salts and air of nitric acid (chemical inorganic compounds).
They are a usual product of exchange of nitrogenous substances of living organisms: vegetable and animal. In a human body nitrates are formed too. They participate in functioning of a cardiovascular system and regulate blood pressure.
Nitrates get into a human body as follows:
- with foodstuff of plant origin;
- with meat;
- with meat products and semi-finished products;
- with drinking water;
- with drugs.
The excess amount of nitrates under the influence of enzymes in a human body addresses in toxic nitrites. They come to blood, turn hemoglobin into a methemoglobin that leads to serious violations of tissue respiration.
Nitrates promote formation of pathogenic intestinal microflora. In a human body poisonous toxins are emitted, and there is organism poisoning.
Main symptoms of nitrate poisonings:
- sharp belly-aches;
- nausea;
- vomiting;
- cyanosis of the face and nails;
- increase in a liver;
- diarrhea with blood;
- short wind;
- frequent heartbeat;
- headaches;
- fatigue and drowsiness.
The constant use of products with the increased content of nitrates can cause metabolic disorders, allergies, diseases of a thyroid gland. Nitrates have negative effect on intestinal microflora, negatively affect the hormonal system of the person, also infertility can be the cause of abortions.
One more negative quality of nitrates — they can gradually collect in an organism.
Nitrites are very dangerous to kids about one year. Children up to three months completely have no special enzymes restoring a methemoglobin back in hemoglobin. Nursing mothers need to keep to a diet and to carefully choose products for the diet, otherwise hazardous substances will get to the child's organism together with milk.
How to measure amount of nitrates in products
The Ministry of Health determined admissible consumption rates of nitrates.
For adults the use of 0.2 mg of nitrites and 5 mg of nitrates on 1 kg of body weight a day is considered safe. Norm for drinking water: concentration of nitrates shouldn't exceed 45 mg/l. There are standards of the contents of nitrates and for various foodstuff.
According to rules all fruit and vegetables before getting on the shelves of shops, have to undergo test check on hazardous substance content. It is possible to measure amount of nitrates in products independently. For this purpose it is necessary to buy portable nitrate tester (ecotester). Modern models are very compact, exact and easy-to-work.
It is better to buy the digital device, it is easy for them to use, it is available at the price, and the result turns out quite exact.
When choosing the measuring instrument consider the size and weight of the device, speed of its work and sensitivity of the probe. It is possible to check products for safety directly in shop.
It is very simple to use a tester. It is necessary to put the probe to vegetable or fruit and to press the start button. In several seconds on the display the value of measurement will be highlighted. Usually digital data of the counter are followed by color illumination. The red background means that the level of nitrates is significantly higher than norm. Some testers can carry out measurement of radiation level in addition. Measurement of radioactivity is a useful function as radiation does huge harm to health.
Nitrate tester can be bought in specialized shop or to order the device online.
The simplest determinant of content of nitrates in products are special test strips. It is enough to put of them to a cut of vegetable (fruit) and to wait for color indication.
How to secure itself and to reduce amount of nitrates in products
There are simple ways to reduce amount of nitrates in food.
Buy fruit and vegetables during a harvesting season. For example, it is better to refuse purchase of fresh raspberry and strawberry in the winter. In the summer and it is possible to take safely apples, apricots and grapes in the fall.
Soil greens and vegetables contain less nitrates, than hothouse cultures.
Nitrates are easily dissolved in water therefore vegetables need to be washed well. Cleaning reduces amount of nitrates approximately by 10-12%, and cooking (suppression) for 40-70%. However when frying or other heat treatment together with nitrates also the amount of vitamins decreases.
One more method to get rid of nitrates – to pickle or salt vegetables. At a pickles or fermentation about 50-60% of hazardous substances go to a brine.
Eat more citrus. Vitamin C reduces harmful effects of nitrates on a human body.
At cucumbers and beet not just like that cut off the ends, in them the highest concentration of nitrates is concentrated.
The greatest number of nitrates accumulates in a peel of fruits and stalks of spicy herbs therefore it is expedient to clean suspicious vegetables (fruit) and to use in food only leaves of spicy greens.
Follow rules of storage of products. Greens, vegetables and fruit need to be held in the fridge at a temperature +2os.