 Nitrites. Harmful, harmless, or helpful. Nitrites are preservatives added to cured meat, like bacon, ham, and hot dogs, to prevent botulism and make them pink by combining with iron and the blood in the meat. Everyone knows nitrites are bad for you, right? But wait a second. Didn't I just show all this research suggesting that, in fact, the reason dark green leafy vegetables may be so healthy is that the nitrates in them turn into nitrites in our mouths, and the nitrites go on to produce nitric oxide, which is so great for our artery. So, which is it? Are nitrites good for you or bad for you? If nitrites are good for you, then hey, pass the bacon. If nitrites, however, are bad for you, then shouldn't we stay the heck away from spinach? On one hand, we have the food group widely considered to be the worst possible thing you can eat, processed meat. And on the other hand, you have dark green leafy vegetables considered the best, yet they are respectively being trashed and touted for the exact same reason, nitrites. It's got to be one or the other, right? Now things are starting to get interesting. Stay tuned.