Is it true that sauerkraut contains "nitrates" which are not only toxic but also carcinogenic? Experiments reveal the truth

Ever since the "315 Gala" exposed sauerkraut, people have probably not been able to get away from this stunt in recent days, as many companies have come out to apologize for the poor hygiene conditions.

Many places have the habit of pickling sauerkraut, especially in the north, where it is considered a delicacy. Because eating sauerkraut can boost your appetite, it makes many families make their own.

Pickled vegetables are a common dish on the Chinese dinner table and are popular because of the special pickling process and all the special flavors. However, the World Health Organisation has listed pickled vegetables as a Group 2B carcinogen. There are even various claims on the internet that sauerkraut causes cancer.

Do pickles, really contain carcinogens nitrite?

Now our country has a long history, especially in the northern region most people like to pickle their sauerkraut, every winter will buy a lot of cabbage, take out a prepared large clay pot, ready to pickle sauerkraut.

The pickled cabbage money will first select fresh cabbage, remove the bad leaves and wash them, then split the cabbage in half and place it in the prepared vat, placing the right amount of salt in each layer.

Why does sauerkraut contain nitrites? Sauerkraut itself contains nitrates, which accumulate themselves during growth by absorbing nitrogen from the soil or nitrogen fertilizer, and are transformed into nitrites by bacteria during the pickling process.

Sauerkraut does contain nitrite, but the actual amount may not be as exaggerated as it is said to be, after all, many people eat sauerkraut all year round and do not develop cancer.

Is it true that sauerkraut contains "nitrates" which are not only toxic but also carcinogenic? Experiments reveal the truth

Experts from the Qiqihar Health and Epidemic Prevention Station in Heilongjiang Province conducted an experimental study on farm pickles, observing the changes in nitrite content in the process of pickling sauerkraut and pickled vegetables using different ingredients, different concentrations of brine, and different temperatures.

It was found that the nitrate content in the pickles pickled separately using cabbage changed with time: day 1: the nitrite content of cabbage ranged from 5.2-7.3mg/kg.

Day 5: the nitrite content of cabbage was at 189.2-213.4mg/kg.

Day 10: The nitrate content of cabbage ranged from 21.3-26.9mg/kg.

Day 15: The nitrate content of cabbage ranged from 3.2-3.7mg/kg.

Day 20: The nitrate content of the cabbage ranged between 1.4-2.1mg/kg.

It is clear from the data that the nitrite content of sauerkraut goes through an "upward and then downward" trend during the preparation process.

At around day 20, the level is very low, and a safe dose of 0.2mg/kg of body weight for nitrite at one time is safe for a 50kg person, for example, 10mg at one time.

Xiao Benxi, the deputy chief physician of the Department of Nutrition at Guangdong Provincial People's Hospital, said that the nitrite content of normally pickled sauerkraut has dropped to a safe level after 20 days of pickling, which is commonly referred to as "well-matured" sauerkraut and can be consumed normally.

There is no need to worry about the small amount of nitrite in sauerkraut as it is only a Group 2a carcinogen and the evidence for human carcinogenicity is not yet sufficient, so as long as you can control your intake, it does not pose a cancer risk to your health.

Since eating sauerkraut does not cause cancer, is it possible to eat large quantities?

Appetizing sauerkraut is usually eaten properly, not only does it taste good, but it also contains many nutrients such as being rich in protein, dietary fiber, vitamin B6, vitamin C, folic acid, iron potassium, and many amino acids.

As sauerkraut is the product of fermentation by lactic acid bacteria, it also contains high levels of lactic acid bacteria which are beneficial to health. It helps to keep the gastrointestinal tract healthy and enhances its ability to absorb nutrients such as vitamins and minerals.

However, it should be noted that sauerkraut is salted and usually has high salt content, with 100g of northeastern sauerkraut containing up to 0.75g of salt according to the Beijing Physical and Chemical Analysis Laboratory.

Xiao Benxi said that as an expert in nutrition, he is more concerned that eating more pickles is prone to salt overload, which not only increases the risk of developing high blood pressure but also digestive tract tumors, which is not good for health.

If you eat too many pickles there are indeed certain health risks, the first of which is that it leads to very unstable blood pressure, which can lead to various cardiovascular and cerebrovascular complications that can seriously damage your health, as well as increase the risk of digestive tract tumors, which is the fundamental reason why we have been advocating that we control the number of pickles we eat.

Is it okay to eat sauerkraut with a white film?

It is not advisable to continue eating sauerkraut if it has a white film, as the white film is usually a chemical that can hurt health when consumed.

Sometimes the white film on sauerkraut is because the sauerkraut itself gradually starts to decay during the pickling process, but the process of decaying sauerkraut is a long one, usually starting from Li, so you can only see the sauerkraut with a long white film, so you should be careful when eating such food.

Sauerkraut has a white film is what happened?

1, sauerkraut in the process of pickling if there is a long white film, it may be because in the pickling before the cabbage in the salt added less caused.

In the pickled vegetables, adding the right amount of edible salt, otherwise, will have an impact on the taste of the ingredients themselves pickled, resulting in the ingredients themselves in the process of pickling will appear rotten, is not conducive to the preservation of the ingredients, so if the sauerkraut appears long white film situation should be added to the edible salt, so as not to cause the long white film of the sauerkraut to appear rotten situation.

2, sauerkraut in the process of pickling, if there is a long white film situation, maybe because, in the process of pickling sauerkraut growth in addition to film yeast, this chemical although in the process of eating, will not cause any adverse effects on human health.

If it is not removed, the nitrite content in the sauerkraut will increase significantly and the body will feel ill after eating it, resulting in food poisoning.

How to pickle sauerkraut crispy and tasty?

Selecting your vegetables

The taste of sauerkraut is inseparable from the variety of cabbage. When choosing, we must choose the right size, and it is even better if the helper is slightly yellowish, as the color will be very beautiful after pickling out.

Washing the vegetables

This process requires patience. Remove the leaves from the cabbage, soak it in water for a while and then wash it carefully with water.

Cook the vegetables

Put the roots of the cabbage into a pot and bring it to a boil over high heat. Allow them to cool.

Into the jar

When pickling the sauerkraut, sprinkle some salt into the bottom of the jar, then place the roots outwards, with the hearts facing inwards, in order, and when the layer is finished sprinkle some salt into the jar, then follow this procedure.

Fermentation

The next day you can prepare a basin of water, add the right amount of beer and stir it into the jar, finally put a stone on top of the cabbage and you're done.

If the temperature is too low, the sauerkraut will not turn sour and if the temperature is too high, the sauerkraut will deteriorate. Pickles are delicious, but you should not consume too much at one time, especially if you are suffering from high altitude illnesses or gastrointestinal diseases.