Yoni Whitten, D.C., C.C.W.P
We would never knowingly serve a child food that increases their risk for disease. Unfortunately, serving those same foods unknowingly does not make them any less dangerous. The sad truth is that most Americans do far more research when buying a car or planning a vacation than we do when determining what substances we put into our bodies and those of our kids. Numerous studies have confirmed that uninformed decision making and poor food choices can have very serious consequences. For example, three separate studies have determined that hot dog consumption poses a significant risk factor for childhood cancer.
Researchers have documented 9 times the normal risk of developing childhood leukemia in kids that consume the greatest number of hot dogs (twelve or more per month). The different forms of leukemia account for roughly 25% of all childhood cancers in the United States and affect about 2,200 young people each year. A separate study found that feeding children hot dogs as little as once per week increased their risk of brain cancer. Each and every year, 3,100 American kids are diagnosed with brain tumors. The bottom line is that we don’t need to be feeding our children foods that increase either of these numbers.
“How can hot dogs possibly cause cancer?” you might ask. Hot dogs and other cured meats contain additives called nitrites which are used primarily as preservatives. During the cooking process these nitrites combine with chemical compounds naturally present in the meat to form something called N-nitroso compounds. These compounds are known carcinogens and have been associated with cancer of the brain, oral cavity, esophagus, stomach and urinary bladder. In fact, the American Association for Cancer Research has referred to N-nitroso compounds as “the most potent nervous system carcinogens known in experimental animals.”
Interestingly, the foods that parents consume can also unintentionally put the health of their children in jeopardy. Researchers in Denver, Colorado determined that children born to mothers who ate hot dogs just one or more times per week during pregnancy had nearly 2 times the risk for developing brain tumors. In a separate study researchers found that maternal consumption of hot dogs during pregnancy was associated with an excess risk of childhood brain tumors. Yet another study published in the journal Cancer Research had similar findings and concluded that the “brain tumors in these young people are related to in utero exposure to N-nitroso compounds and their precursors”.
Mothers-to-be aren’t the only ones that need to make healthy, informed decisions about the foods they eat. A strong risk for childhood leukemia also existed for those children whose fathers' intake of hot dogs was twelve or more per month.
The increased risk for brain cancer in one study was associated not only with the level of maternal consumption of cured meats containing nitrites, but with other substances as well. In fact, cigarette smoke, burning incense, drugs such as diuretics and antihistamines and even some face make-up all contain chemicals which are precursors of N-nitroso compounds. While the majority of cured meats do contain nitrites, there are some organic, nitrite-free options available. As always, the most important thing is to be an informed consumer – spend a bit more time deciding what you put into your body because your family’s health depends on it.
Action Step:
Read your food labels – Avoid any and all items containing nitrites
Pay close attention to the labels on cured meat products including hot dogs, bacon and fish.
Remember to:
References:
1, Peters J, et al " Processed meats and risk of childhood leukemia" Cancer Causes & Control 5: 195-202, 1994.
2 Sarasua S, Savitz D. " Cured and broiled meat consumption in relation to childhood cancer: Denver, Colorado," Cancer Causes & Control 5:141-8, 1994.
3 Bunin GR, et al. "Maternal diet and risk of astrocytic glioma in children: a report from the children's cancer group," Cancer Causes & Control 5:177-87, 1994.
4 Preston-Martin S, Yu M, Benton B and B.E. Henderson. “N-Nitroso Compounds and Childhood Brain Tumors: A Case-Control Study,” Cancer Research 42, 5240-5245,December 1, 1982