Drinking water, foods, and food additives are the main sources of nitrites and nitrates that we consume. Previously, a study determined the association between the intake of dietary nitrite and the risk of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) in individuals with low vitamin C ingestion. 1 Now, researchers from the University of Paris-Cité studied the association between the consumption of nitrites and nitrates from drinking water, foods, and food additives and T2DM risk. 2 This web-based cohort study had 104,168 participants aged ≥15 years.
During the follow-up of median 7.3 years, 969 individuals acquired T2DM . Total nitrites, nitrites from water and foods, and higher consumption of nitrites through food additives, particularly sodium nitrite, were associated with a higher risk of T2DM. However, no association between the consumption of nitrates and T2DM risk was found. The findings fuel…
