World Actuality

Sodium nitrite is the inorganic substance with the chemical formula NaNO2. It is a white to slightly yellowish crystalline powder that is very soluble in water and also hygroscopic. It has the E number E250.

Nitrites are precursors of carcinogenic substances – nitrosamines, which are formed in the stomach from proteins and nitrites, and accelerate the formation and growth of cancer cells throughout the body. High concentrations may react with hemoglobin.

Sodium nitrite side effects: Cancer – a preeminent concern about E250 is the formation of carcinogenic nitrosamines in meats containing it when meat is overcooked or charred. Such carcinogenic substances can also be formed from the reaction of nitrite with secondary amines in the human stomach, and also during the curing process used to preserve meats.

A study by the University of Southern California and the Cancer Research Center of Hawaii suggests a connection between eating processed meats and risk of cancer. The study followed 190,545 people (approximately 45 percent of the study participants were men), aged 45-75, for 7 years.