Nitrates in bacon vs. beetroot: why they’re not the same

But this is where chemistry without context can be misleading. While the molecules may look alike on paper, what your body does with them (and what they come packaged with) tells a very different story.

Let’s unpack why nitrates in beetroot are a world apart from those in bacon, and why this distinction matters for your long-term health.

Same molecule, different journey

It’s true that both beetroot and bacon contain nitrates (NO₃⁻), but how those nitrates behave in your body, and the health consequences, depend heavily on where they come from.

• In vegetables like beetroot, spinach, and rocket, nitrates occur naturally alongside antioxidants, vitamin C, and protective plant compounds. These nutrients help convert nitrates into nitric oxide, a compound that relaxes blood vessels and supports healthy blood pressure. In fact, nitrate-rich vegetables are consistently linked with a lower risk of heart disease and other chronic conditions.

• In processed meats, nitrates and nitrites are added synthetically (often as sodium nitrite or potassium nitrate) to preserve colour and prevent bacterial growth. The danger appears when these meats are cooked at high temperatures,like grilling or frying. That heat can transform nitrites into nitrosamines, many of which are known carcinogens.

The nitrosamine problem

Here’s where the health risk really escalates.

• In plant foods, the presence of antioxidants prevents the formation of harmful nitrosamines. Instead, your body favours the nitric oxide pathway, which supports cardiovascular health.

• In processed meats, the absence of those protective compounds creates the ideal environment for nitrosamines to form through heating, curing or even during digestion when it comes into contact with stomach acid. And that’s a problem: nitrosamines have been directly linked to an increased risk of colorectal and other digestive cancers.

The World Health Organization highlights that just 50g of processed meat daily (roughly two rashers of bacon) may increase your risk of colorectal cancer by 17%.

This is not to scare you. There are other elements at play here as well, such as fibre, smoking and alcohol intake. It’s an oversimplification to say any one food “causes” cancer (or cures it). Health and disease are complex, multifactorial, and depend on an entire dietary pattern, not a single ingredient.

It’s not just about the nitrates

So let’s zoom out and appreciate that the impact of a single nutrient depends on the whole food matrix and what else it’s packaged with.

• Beetroot gives you nitrates, yes, but also fibre, antioxidants, and polyphenols that all work together to nourish the gut, support vascular function, and buffer potential harm by mopping up reactive oxygen species (ROS).

• Bacon, on the other hand, contains added potassium nitrate or sodium nitrites, offers minimal antioxidants, and is a combination of salt, saturated fat, and amines, compounds that may increase the risk of harmful nitrosamine formation when cooked. Bacon also delivers a source of protein (lean, if you pick medallion cuts), but the frequency with which it’s chosen as a source of protein matters.

What About Sugar in Beetroot?

Another common myth is that beetroot is high in sugar, so how can it be healthy?

• The sugar in beetroot is bound within a whole food, alongside fibre, vitamins, minerals, and phytochemicals. This slows digestion and blunts blood sugar spikes. Even if you drink beetroot juice, which we often recommend to clients due to its blood pressure-lowering effects, it is best to do so alongside a balanced meal.

• By contrast, added sugars in processed foods (such as fizzy drinks, cakes, or plant-based snack bars) are rapidly absorbed, leading to an increase in blood glucose and insulin levels, and contributing to insulin resistance and metabolic issues over time.

Beetroot’s natural sweetness doesn’t make it a junk food—it makes it a nutrient-rich, delicious addition to a balanced plate.

Context over fear

Food isn’t black and white. No single ingredient causes or cures disease. But evidence consistently shows that:

• Nitrate-rich vegetables support long-term health

• Processed meats, especially when fried or grilled, carry a measurable cancer risk – especially alongside low-fibre, low-nutrient diets and inflammatory lifestyle factors (smoking, alcohol, sedentary)

• Natural sugars in whole foods behave differently from added sugars in processed ones

Let’s ditch the soundbites and bring back nuance.

✔️ Beetroot, spinach, rocket: nitrate-rich, antioxidant-packed, heart-helping foods that promote health

❌ Bacon, salami, processed meats: nitrate-preserved, curing, digestive or heat-triggered nitrosamine formation with cancer links

✔️ Whole-food sugar (like in beetroot): part of a nutrient-dense package

❌ Added sugar: isolated, fast-absorbed, and pro-inflammatory

Food is complex, but the pattern is clear: what matters most is the quality and context of what we eat. Real food, eaten in balance, remains the best foundation for long-term health. 

A final word on bacon (yes, I eat it too)

You might be wondering if I’m saying all this because I don’t like bacon, but I do. And I eat it. Just not very often. It’s usually a once a fortnight kind of thing, and when I do have it, I’m picky: I look for nitrate/nitrite-free options and care about where it’s sourced from.

That’s the approach we recommend for many of our clients, too – where appropriate. Because the nuance of nutrition is exactly that: nuance. It’s about balance, context, and personalisation.

Can some people enjoy bacon more freely than others? Absolutely. What’s right for your body, your genetics, your gut health, or even your ethical preferences may not be right for someone else. And that’s okay.

The key is understanding the “why” behind what you’re eating. So whether you’re Team Bacon, Team Beetroot, or somewhere in between, at least now you know the difference between the nitrates in each and how they affect your health, so you can make an informed choice.

And as for beetroot? Unless you’re allergic, go for it. Embrace it. Just don’t panic if your toilet paper looks a little pink…