Inclusion of Japanese knotweed extract in processed red meat could reduce cancer risk

Bacon could be back on the menu of health-conscious diners thanks to an unlikely salvation: Japanese knotweed.

The fast-growing plant, feared by homeowners for its ability to invade gardens and buildings, contains a chemical that could replace the nitrite preservative in deli meats such as bacon and sausages.

Diets high in nitrites have been linked to a higher risk of colorectal cancer – leading scientists, notably at the University of Reading, have been looking for alternatives.

The PHYTOME project has developed processed red meat that includes added natural substitutes that reduce the carcinogenic compound nitrite added to preserve meats. The line of sausages and hams featured a blend of herbs and fruits, including rosemary, green tea, and resveratrol – an extract taken from Japanese knotweed.

In addition to developing versions of cooked and cured red meats that replaced nitrite with these natural alternatives, the project also tested whether these substitutes would parallel the normal nitrite levels found in processed red meats.

In an article published in Molecular nutrition and food research, the international team of scientists tested the specially formulated products against conventionally processed red and white meat.

They found that telltale signs of nitrite content in participants’ stools were significantly lower in the two specially formulated meats, and the levels were similar to those fed minimally processed white meat.

Current concerns about highly processed red meat have often focused on the role of nitrite and its links to cancer. The PHYTOME project tackled the problem by creating processed red meat products that replace additives with plant-based alternatives.

Our latest findings show that the use of natural additives in processed red meat reduces the creation of compounds in the body that are linked to cancer.

Surprisingly, natural additives seemed to have protective effects even when red meat still contained nitrite. This suggests that natural additives could be used to reduce some of the potentially harmful effects of nitrite, even in foods where it is not possible to completely remove nitrite preservatives. “

Gunter Kuhnle, Professor of Nutrition and Food Sciences, University of Reading

A major consideration for the team was how the nitrate content in drinking water can significantly affect the formation of nitrite, which is produced in the body, as was discovered in previous research.

The team controlled this by monitoring the water content during the trial and the participants were tested with low and high nitrate water during separate test periods.

By monitoring drinking water, the results showed that PHYTOME red meats produced lower levels of telltale signs of nitrite production in the body than conventional red meat or unprocessed white meat.