Without doubt, hot dogs are as American as apple pie and hamburgers and a lot of people grow up eating grilled hot dogs and hot dogs combined with macaroni and cheese. This is a delicious meal and it is often the staple of a lot of children’s diets.
Did you know that approximately 155 million hot dogs are eaten every 4th of July nationwide? However, despite being one of the most popular and loved foods in the U.S., but elsewhere too, doctors have been telling parents not to allow their children to eat them because they are not good for their health!
The Health Problems Associated with Hot Dog Consumption
As shown by research, children who eat more than a dozen of hot dogs per one month have a 9 times higher risk of leukemia, a type of blood cancer during which the bone marrow and other blood-forming organs create a high amount of immature or abnormal leukocytes that impede the production of normal blood cells, resulting in anemia and other accompanying symptoms.
Furthermore, the problem does not end here! Namely, men who frequently consume hot dogs prior to conceiving have a higher likelihood of passing cancer to their children and pregnant women who eat hot dogs on a regular basis increase the risk of brain tumor in their child.
Why Are Hot Dogs a Nightmare?
Hot dogs are not good for the health because they contain nitrates. This harmful substance is added to meat and meat products, including hot dogs, for preservation and to prolong shelf life. They are also included to keep the pinkish color of the meat; otherwise, it would appear grayish, to add a specific flavor, and to deflect the bacteria that can lead to botulism, a dangerous illness which causes muscular and respiratory paralysis. Unfortunately, when digested in the stomach, nitrates transform into nitrosamines that are known causes of cancer in pregnant women and children.
Nitrates Are also Found in Veggies
Did you know that nitrates are also present in veggies that have been grown with nitrate fertilizers? Nonetheless, they have specific compounds like vitamin C which is known to fight off the production of nitrosamine. Some of the vegetables with naturally-occurring nitrates are celery, parsley, lettuce, spinach, cabbage, and beats.
The Solution
As a parent, you should definitely remove hot dogs and other processed meats of your children’s menu and also decrease your hot dog consumption. Remember, not even organic meat is a guarantee that you are eating safe food. Also, exclude or lower the consumption of vegetables grown in nitrate fertilizers.
If you are still not convinced in the dangers of eating hot dogs, make sure you check out the video below showing how this “food” is made. Yuck!
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