The most popular early spring vegetables are radishes, tomatoes, cucumbers and lettuce. Concerns about early vegetables are related to their fertilization – says Radosław Majewski from the Center for Applied Nutrition in Białystok in an interview with PAP.
As he explains, the greatest health risk comes from nitrogen over-fertilization. The content of nitrates in spring vegetables is directly proportional to the amount of fertilizer supplied, because these vegetables absorb it in a non-selective manner. So the more fertilizer in the soil, the more nitrates in spring vegetables – emphasizes the expert.
Nitrates contained in early vegetables can be reduced to nitrites, which are the precursor of N-nitrosamines, i.e. carcinogenic compounds. As you know, in human nutrition, everything is a matter of quantity, portion size and dose (ADI – Acceptable Daily Intake – daily intake of a certain substance) – also in the case of N-nitrosamines. Therefore, the greatest risk of potentially harmful effects of spring vegetables lies in children. Due to their lower body weight, it is easier to accumulate harmful compounds and exceed the ADI, emphasizes Radosław Majewski.
The expert emphasizes that it should be remembered that we can make the right choice in the store, rejecting vegetables with unnaturally large shapes and avoiding vegetables covered with stains and discoloration, which may indicate their nitrogen over-fertilization. The way vegetables are stored affects the nitrite content.
In conditions of oxygen deficiency, e.g. in wrapped lettuce or cucumbers, nitrates are reduced to harmful nitrites. It is also important to carefully wash and peel spring vegetables, because most harmful substances accumulate under the skin – explains Radosław Majewski.
It is worth adding that a statistical Pole consumes only about 1,6 kg of lettuce per year, the largest part of which is in the summer season, when lettuce is no longer a spring salad. In addition, the most nitrates accumulate in the depths of lettuce, which we usually do not eat. So, when assessing the health risk associated with eating early vegetables, use common sense – emphasizes the dietitian.
She adds that, of course, instead of buying parsley or chives in the store, you can grow them on your own. However, taking into account the amounts in which we usually eat them, the benefits of this treatment are insignificant for the body. And parsley on the window can perform a decorative function. (PAP)