I work at a bar-b-que resteraunt and im surrounded by all types of meats constantly. I read somewhere that said that smoked meat is bad for you especially bodybuilders becuase it producs nitrates and something like that. I was wondering if anyone has any info or knowledge on this topic.
THanks
Yep, I’ve just touched on this as part of my MSc Nutrition course. You?re referring to nitrates and nitrites that have been shown to convert to nitrosamines in the body. Some of these compounds are regarded are carcinogenic. These are most prevalent in preserved or ?smoked? meats.
Also you mention you work in a bbq place. Bbq’d meat has the added delight of protein breakdown products such as benzopyrene. When the meat (well the protein in the meat)gets cooked in this way (high temp) it leads to certain changes in the protein in the region of the charring that you don?t see in other cooking methods.
That must be why they taste so good! Life is cruel.
I don?t know about them being any worse for bodybuilders. I wouldn?t have though bodybuilders are physiologically more susceptible to the influence of these compounds. I guess you mean from a total meat consumption point of view but most clean eating bodybuilders wouldn?t really be looking at hot dogs or the like as a source of protein mebby just as a treat. No? Not if they have been hanging round this place for long…
Anyway just type nitrites or benzopyrene into google and sit back and wonder whether you are ever going to eat another bbq?d wiener. There?s also loads of abstracts from scientific papers out there that can be found on the www.