Abstract
THE dangers to health from nitrite in the environment generally, and its use in meat processing in particular, have been pointed out by several groups1–3. These dangers are associated with the production of nitrous acid in the acid environment of the stomach and the further reaction of this substance with naturally occurring and synthetic secondary and tertiary amines to form nitroso compounds which may be carcinogenic, mutagenic and cytotoxic. Ascorbic acid has been shown to effectively compete with amines for nitrous acid in vitro4 and it has been suggested that co-administration of ascorbic acid with potentially nitrosatable drugs, and foods containing nitrite, may reduce the hazards associated with ingestion of these substances4.
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EDGAR, J. Ascorbic acid and biological alkylating agents. Nature 248, 136–137 (1974). https://doi.org/10.1038/248136a0
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/248136a0
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