Doctors Are Urging You To Stop Feeding Your Children With Hot Dogs – Here’s Why

Every parent wants to protect their child, but sometimes, they sacrifice convenience for safety.

Lots of Americans are so used to eat in a certain way that they don’t realize they are making unhealthy choices and that those choices are affecting their children.

Hot Dog is among theAmerican favorites– a 4th of July staple that’s eaten at least once in a week in most households.

Nevertheless, a USC epidemiologist found that kids who eat more than 12 hot dogs in a month have 9 times the normal risk of developing childhood leukemia. Additionally, in another study, kids who ate hot dogs one or more times per week were at higher risk of brain cancer as well.

The study observed the relationship between the intake of certain foods and the risk of leukemia in kids from birth to age of 10 in Los Angeles County between 1980 and 1987.

The study also determined that there was a big risk for childhood leukemia for children whose fathers’ intake of hot dogs before conception,was 12 or more per month.

This confirmed that the dietary habits of the parents before their child is born, along with during pregnancy, can leave them more prone to several diseases.

Actually, researchers SavitzandSarusua, who studied childhood cancer cases in Denver, found that children born from mothers who consumed hot dogs one or more times in one week during pregnancy have approximately doubled the risk of developing brain tumor.

It has been suggested that the nitrates that are contained in hot dogs are causing these health issues.

“Processed red meat commonly contains sodium, phosphates, nitratesand other food additives, and smoked and grilled meats also contain polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, all of which may contribute to the increased heart failure risk,” saysAlicjaWolk, D.M.Sc.

The Canadian Cancer Society claims that these nitrates act as preservatives in order to prevent food from spoiling, and they add color to the meatas well.

Nitritesand nitrates are not causing cancerby themselves, but in specific conditions in the body they can change into by-products called N-nitroso compounds, such as nitrosamidesandnitrosamines. N-nitroso compounds are relatedto an increased cancerrisk.

Also, vitamin C might be added to some preserved meats. This vitamin keeps nitrites from changing into nitrosamines and that may help reduce the risk of cancer connectedto these chemicals.

Still, new cases of nitrate-caused cancers still appear each yearat an alarming rate.

How To Avoid Nitrate-Filled Foods

• Minimize the consumption of cured meat products and processed foods such as cold cuts,hot dogs, andsausage.
• Check the labels very careful, avoid products that list potassium nitritesandnitratesor sodium. Along with lunchmeat, some canned beans,packaged seafoodand vegetables with bacon, may contain these added chemicals.
• Eat raw and organic food. Synthetic nitrites and nitrates are not allowed as preservatives in meats and organic packaged foods.
• Learn if your water is tainted with nitritesornitrates. Public drinking water utilities test for these compounds and must reveal their results. If you are drinking well water, the local health department can help you find out if this is a problem in your neighborhood. You can also have your water tested in a lab. If there are chemicals present, consider treating your water with a reverse osmosis filter,a home water distiller, or an ion exchange filter as to remove any fertilizer nitrates in the groundwater.
• Consume a diet high in antioxidants. Vitamin C and several other vitamins can reduce the conversion of nitrites and nitrates to nitrosamines.