Nitrate and man : toxic, harmless or beneficial? / Jean L'hirondel and Jean-Louis L'hirondel.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

L'hirondel, Jean.

Contributor:

L'hirondel, Jean-Louis.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Nitrates--Physiological effect.

Nitrates.

Nitrates--Toxicology.

Physical Description:

1 online resource (182 p.)

Edition:

1st ed.

Place of Publication:

Wallingford : CABI, c2002.

Language Note:

English

Summary:

Nitrate is ubiquitous. It is present in water, soil, plants food, and is also a normal human metabolite. The main external sources of nitrate are vegetables and drinking water. This book examines the relationship between nitrates and human health.

Contents:

Machine generated contents note: Introduction 1

1 The History of Nitrates in Medicine 3

2 Nitrate, the Nitrogen Cycle and the Fertility of Nature 9

21. The Nitrogen Cycle 10

22. The Increasing Fertility of Nature 12

3 The Metabolism of Nitrate 16

31. The Basic Features 16

32. The Two Sources of Nitrate: Dietary Intake and Endogenous

Synthesis 17

33. The Metabolic Conversions of Nitrate in the Body and its

Fate 21

34. Nitrate Secretion with Saliva and its Transformation to

Nitrite in the Mouth 23

35. Nitrate and Nitrite in the Stomach 26

36. Nitrate Metabolism: a Summary 27

4 Nitrate in Body Fluids 29

41. Healthy Humans 30

42. Pathological Conditions 32

43. Conclusions 34

5 The Case Against Nitrate: a Critical Examination 35

51. The Risk of Methaemoglobinaemia in Infants 35

511. Methaemoglobinaemia: definition 36

512. Infant methaemoglobinaemia: causes and issues 37

513. Methaemoglobinaemia induced by carrot soup 38

514. Spinach-induced methaemoglobinaemia 41

515. Methaemoglobinaemia caused by enteritis 41

516. Methaemoglobinaemia associated with the use of

well water 44

517. Conclusion 52

52. The Risk of Cancer 54

521. Background 54

522. The formation of N-nitroso compounds (NOCs) 55

523. Evidence from animal experiments and

epidemiological studies 58

524. Comments and conclusions 60

53. Other Grievances 63

531. Increased health risk for mother, fetus and child

from nitrate 63

532. Risk of genotoxicity 64

533. Increased risk for congenital malformation 65

534. Tendency towards increased size of the thyroid

gland 65

535. Early onset of hypertension 66

536. Enhanced incidence of childhood diabetes 66

537. Other claims 67

54. Conclusions 68

6 Nitrate Regulations: Presentation and Discussion 69

61. Maximum Nitrate Levels in Drinking Water 69

611. History of regulations 70

612. A look at the early epidemiology as a basis for

present regulations 74

62. Maximum Nitrate Levels in Food 77

63. The Acceptable Daily Intake and the Reference Dose for

Nitrate in Man 79

64. Concluding Comments 82

7 The Beneficial Effects of Nitrate 84

71. The Anti-infective Effects of Nitrate 84

711. The effects in the mouth and gastrointestinal tract 84

712. Anti-infective effects in other organs 87

72. Nitrate, Blood Pressure and Cardiovascular Diseases 88

73. Dietary Nitrate and Gastric Cancer 90

74. Other Beneficial Effects 92

75. Conclusion 92

8 Summary and Conclusions 93

Appendices

Appendix 1 Conversion Factors and Tables 95

Conversion Factors for Nitrate Expressed in Various Units 95

Appendix 2 Sources of Nitrate in Human Food 99

Appendix 3 Nitrate Kinetics in Healthy Adults after Oral Doses of

Nitrate 103

Appendix 4 High Plasma Nitrate Levels in Various Diseases and

Therapies 107

Appendix 5 Human Epidemiological Studies Performed to Evaluate

the Effects of Nitrate Exposure on Cancer Incidence

and Mortality 111

Appendix 6 Massive Intakes of Nitrite and Nitrate: Short-Term

Effects on Health 119

Large Intakes of Nitrite (NO2-) 119

Massive Intakes of Nitrate (NO3-) 121.

Notes:

Description based upon print version of record.

Includes bibliographical references and index.

ISBN:

1-280-90826-2

9786610908264

1-84593-331-1

OCLC:

437183012