About nitrate-rich and low-nitrate vegetables
Nitrate occurs naturally in vegetables, but also in, for example, water. Too much of it is not good because the body can convert it into nitrite. We all know that spinach and lettuce contain nitrate, which is why many people think that you should not eat it too often. However, that advice has been overtaken by science.
Nitrate in itself is not much harm. But by storing, preparing or eating nitrate-rich vegetables, some of them are converted into nitrite. And nitrite can be converted back into nitrosamines, which are possibly carcinogenic. For years it was therefore said that you should not heat spinach, that you should not eat nitrate-rich vegetables with fish or shellfish and that you should not eat nitrate-rich vegetables more than twice a week. Further studies have now shown that eating nitrate-rich vegetables does not pose a health risk. It is therefore no problem to combine fish with nitrate-rich vegetables. Moreover, it does not matter how often you eat it because the amount of nitrosamines formed is far too small for health risks.
Nutritional advice
There are, however, two recommendations for limiting the intake of nitrate. Firstly, it is not recommended to use water from private sources for the preparation of formula. Water from private sources can contain elevated concentrations of nitrate, which is particularly harmful to babies. Tap water in the Netherlands is suitable. Just let the tap run and then it is immediately ready for use with bottle feeding.
Secondly, it is not recommended to use nitrate-rich (sports) supplements such as beet juice or beet juice concentrate on a daily basis. The high dose of nitrate in such supplements is in addition to the daily amount of nitrate and can therefore cause an increase in nitrosamine formation. Therefore, athletes are advised to exercise restraint.
Nitrate-rich vegetables are:
• Endive
• Beetroot
• Celery
• Chinese cabbage
• Kohlrabi
• bok choy
• Purslane
• Turnip greens
• Lettuce, all kinds
• Chard
• Spinach
• Oxheart cabbage
• Fennel
• Watercress
Low-nitrate vegetables are:
• Eggplant
• Cauliflower
• Broccoli
• Garden peas
• Celeriac
• Cucumber
• Cabbage, red, white, savoy
• Kohlrabi
• Paprika
• leeks
• Salsify
• String Beans
• Green beans
• Sprouts
• Tomatoes
• Broad beans
• Onions
• Chicory
• carrots
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