Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

Current copy of Organic Gardener page 8 has an interesting article based on a possible link between Alzheimer's, Parkinson's and diabetes and increased Nitrite and Nitrate levels in fresh and processed foods due to the increased use of nitrate containing fertilisers.

I don't see it as anything to worry about with your average system but it may be of interest to people who are trying to increase the nitrate levels in their system to increase plant production.

Here is the exerpt from the paper and a link


"Pages 519-529
Suzanne M. de la Monte, Alexander Neusner, Jennifer Chu and Margot Lawton (Communicated by Paula Moreira)
Epidemilogical Trends Strongly Suggest Exposures as Etiologic Agents in the Pathogenesis of Sporadic Alzheimer’s Disease, Diabetes Mellitus, and Non-Alcoholic Steatohepatitis
Abstract: Nitrosamines mediate their mutagenic effects by causing DNA damage, oxidative stress, lipid peroxidation, and pro-inflammatory cytokine activation, which lead to increased cellular degeneration and death. However, the very same pathophysiological processes comprise the “unbuilding” blocks of aging and insulin-resistance diseases including, neurodegeneration, diabetes mellitus (DM), and non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH). Previous studies demonstrated that experimental exposure to streptozotocin, a nitrosamine-related compound, causes NASH, and diabetes mellitus Types 1, 2 and 3 (Alzheimer (AD)-type neurodegeneration). Herein, we review evidence that the upwardly spiraling trends in mortality rates due to DM, AD, and Parkinson’s disease typify exposure rather than genetic-based disease models, and parallel the progressive increases in human exposure to nitrates, nitrites, and nitrosamines via processed/preserved foods. We propose that such chronic exposures have critical roles in the pathogenesis of our insulin resistance disease pandemic. Potential solutions include: 1) eliminating the use of nitrites in food; 2) reducing nitrate levels in fertilizer and water used to irrigate crops; and 3) employing safe and effective measures to detoxify food and water prior to human consumption. Future research efforts should focus on refining our ability to detect and monitor human exposures to nitrosamines and assess early evidence of nitrosamine-mediated tissue injury and insulin resistance. "

http://www.j-alz.com/issues/17/vol17-3.html

sigh... everything is just designed to kill you these days.

moderation is key?

Aren't we, for all intents and purposes using large quantities of nitrate based fertilisers?

Yep, thats why you're gunna die (one day)

yup resigned my self to that.

<H does some research>
OK, it looks to me as though we are all DOOMED, DOOMED I TELL YOU!!

Wait...I'm better now.

Friends, it would be nice to have the perfect answer, but for now we have these:
1) veges reduce cancer. If we are eating more, even if they are a bit less healthy for us due to higher nitrates, I think we are better off.
2) Some research has shown that "harvesting the spinach at the end of a day, after it has been exposed to daylight for 12 hours, reduced the levels of nitrate by more than 20 percent. This may well be true of other vegetables, many scientists believe." Since most of us do not eat veges for breakfast, harvest just before you eat.
3) holding veges after picking or cooking increases nitrites, so pick and eat soon. Don't wait days.
4) A lot of the same goes for fish: since nitrites increase after harvest, we APers get lower nitrites due to eating the buggers very fresh.
5) Fish is a lot better than preserved meat, at least from a health standpoint.
6) Hoist a beer. It has nitrites, but you won't worry as much after drinking it. Now, have another!

I am waiting for the study that says brest milk gives you cancer. Everybody dies of something eventually. The benefits of growing our own plants and fish will rule out any possible negatives.

Wait....you mean you haven't seen that report? Man, I quit as soon as I read it!

Yeah, I know exactly what you mean, couldn't believe it!

. . so I quit reading too!

Cheers IanK

I think there is more to it than simply nitrates. Come on, the bad nitrates are usually the ones used as food preservatives or the excess nitrates that run off into the lakes and rivers and thus get into our drinking supply. Heck there are some agricultural areas in the USA where the nitrates in the drinking water supplies are so high from fertilizer run off that you can't give a baby a bath in the tap water due to the high nitrates, they have to buy bottled water for bathing babies under 6 months old.

Now I doubt many people get nitrate related diseases from eating veggies. Heck if one were to get too strung up about nitrate levels, very few plants should be allowed anywhere near your chickens because they all seem to have toxic levels of nitrates.

So, I think the answer is all about balance since nitrates are needed for plants to grow.

That's it ! Everybody - STOP BREATHING - there's bound to be something bad in the air !

In fact, our air is around 75% nitrogen, and nitrogen is, of course, used to make nitrates ......

I'll leave you to make your own conclusions while you hold your breath.

Ah ya know living is fatal.

Yep - the statistics support that !

I always find these types of studies facinating as I fail to see the absolute link. I just posted it for interests sake but at the end of the day the study just shows a parellel between the increase in these diseases and the increase in use of nitrogen based fertilisers. To me there are a lot of unanswered questions such as were the diseases under diagnosed / reported previously such that the increase is just due to increase in accurate data collection?

Think about how many other changes aoocurred arund the same time that nitorgen based fertiliser became more common, it was all part of global industrialisation. Increased exposure to different metals, chemicals that became common use in the houshold and surrounding environment?

Don't worry too much ....., worry is one of the biggest killers:)
Actually just relax and wait a few weeks / maybe months and a whole new study will show have these nitrates are really GOOD.
Remember the "egg" argument ,, considered the perfect protein ( pre 1990) ,, then AHHH cholestrol , don't eat them or you'll DIE quick,,,LOL,....., Now they are back as GOODIES again ( 7 odd a week).
FATS ,, AHH ALL fats are bad ,m don't eat them you'll die VERY young,.....,, OOOPS ,, ummm actually Olive all is good .......... then ,, OOOOPS ummm Avocado is good ..... and the latest is research into links between Coconut fat and HEALTHY resistance to cancer???????
AHHH you just can't win.

The BIGGEST con of all time is " we should go back to the "healthy ways" of the past. No modern medicine , no refined foods , no this no that .
LOL ,, Just 100 years ago life expectancy was 50 ,, YEP 50 ..... so all these horrible BAD evil new fangled killers have actually extended our life expectancy some 30 years:)