Nitrate test strip

Sodium nitrate, a preservative that’s used in some processed meats, such as bacon, jerky and luncheon meats, could increase your heart disease risk. It’s thought that sodium nitrate may damage your blood vessels, making your arteries more likely to harden and narrow, leading to heart disease. Nitrogen is an important nutrient to plants and animals. • Within soil and water, wastes from animals, humans, and fertilizer products are decomposed to form nitrates and nitrites. Nitrates and nitrites are composed of nitrogen and oxygen that occur naturally in the environment as part of the nitrogen cycle.