Using vegetable juice to mix milk powder can cause poisoning in infants. To prevent nitrite food poisoning, do 4 things

Nitrite exists in many foods. Pickled vegetables, kimchi and salted fish contain nitrite, and the vegetables we eat every day also contain nitrite. A few days ago, parents used vegetable juice to mix milk powder, which caused nitrite poisoning in babies, which also became a hot topic. Why does nitrite poisoning occur and what are the symptoms?

Why does nitrite poisoning occur when mixing vegetable juice with milk powder?

Children are the treasures of their parents, and parents often worry that their children are not well fed or well clothed. For infants who are mainly fed with milk powder and breast milk, parents are even more worried that their babies will get angry. At this time, they will try their best to prevent this problem in advance, so some parents squeeze vegetable juice and use it to make milk powder.

Vegetables contain more nutrients, so vegetable juice made from them is a good thing in the eyes of parents. However, the facts show that good intentions can also lead to wrong things. After drinking milk powder made from vegetable juice, babies developed nitrite poisoning.

Vegetables contain nitrites, and some vegetables have a high nitrite content. These nitrites do not decrease due to changes in vegetables, and enter the baby's stomach with vegetable juice. Babies are weaker and their functions are not fully developed. The nitrite poisoning dose is much lower than that of adults, so they are more likely to suffer from nitrite poisoning.

Symptoms and Dosages of Nitrite Poisoning

Many people believe that the main reason why overnight dishes cannot be eaten is nitrite. If leafy vegetables are left for too long after being fried, the nitrite content will increase. After entering the human body, nitrite will convert the divalent iron of hemoglobin in the human body into trivalent iron. Divalent iron has the ability to carry oxygen, but trivalent iron does not have this function, which leads to symptoms of hypoxia in human tissues. In mild cases, cyanosis of the skin and mucous membranes will occur, which is obvious in the lips, mouth, and nail beds. In severe cases, shortness of breath, nausea, vomiting, drowsiness, and even coma and respiratory failure may occur, which is life-threatening.

Food poisoning caused by nitrite is called enterogenic cyanosis. How much nitrite intake at one time will cause food poisoning? The nitrite content in food is not the same as the poisoning dose. Generally speaking, the nitrite content that causes harm to the human body is: 0.2-0.5g intake at one time can cause poisoning, and 3g intake at one time can cause death (lethal dose).

Many foods contain nitrite, and some foods have to be eaten. How can we prevent food poisoning caused by nitrite at this time?

1. Eat less leftovers

When eating, if there are only steamed buns and rice, we will feel that we have no appetite. At this time, we will fry a few dishes and eat them with the staple food. However, sometimes the number of fried dishes is a bit too much, and it feels a pity to throw away the leftover food, so many people choose to continue eating after heating.

The nitrite content of fried dishes, especially leafy vegetables, will increase as they are left for a longer time. Although the dosage of these nitrites is not very large and may not cause nitrite food poisoning, we cannot take it lightly. Nitrite will be converted into nitrosamines under the action of gastric acid, which is a first-class carcinogen. If you eat overnight dishes for a long time, carcinogens will gradually increase in the body, and the risk of cancer will also increase.

2. Do not drink water containing a lot of nitrite

Water is the source of life. Adults should drink at least 1500-1700 ml of water every day. However, we should pay attention to the choice of drinking water. Not all water is suitable for drinking. The emergence of water dispensers allows us to drink hot water at any time. The power of the water dispenser is turned on, and the water in the water dispenser is in a state of repeated heating. The nitrite content of repeatedly boiled water will also increase.

In addition to repeatedly boiled water, there is also steamer water used for steaming buns and bitter well water, which all contain high levels of nitrite and are not suitable for drinking.

3. Eat less pickled foods

Pickled food is full of flavor and tastes better with rice. Even a piece of pickled vegetables and steamed buns can be eaten with relish. Pickled food is also the habitat of nitrite. The survey found that the nitrite content in pickled vegetables is the highest when pickled for three to eight days, and the nitrite content will gradually decrease from the ninth day, and will basically disappear after twenty days.

Even if the pickles have been pickled for a long time, it is not recommended to eat them. Salt is used to pickle pickles, and the salty taste of the pickles is strong. The salt content is high, which will also increase the risk of hypertension. Vegetables should be fresh. Fresh vegetables are healthier.

4. Eat foods that inhibit the formation of nitrosamines

Under certain conditions, nitrite will turn into nitrosamine, which is a carcinogen and increases the risk of cancer. At this time, it is necessary to block the formation of nitrosamine. What foods can block nitrosamine? Some foods with antioxidant effects are a good choice.

Tea polyphenols in green tea, carotene in carrots, allicin in garlic, vitamin C in vegetables, etc. These nutrients are all antioxidant substances that can effectively reduce the formation of carcinogens.