What Exactly Are Nitrates? A Comprehensive Guide
                                
                                
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                                    5 min read                                
                            
                                According to the National Institutes of Health, the majority of human nitrate exposure comes from vegetables and fruits, not processed meats. So, what exactly are nitrates, and are they good or bad for you? Nitrates are chemical compounds composed of nitrogen and oxygen, crucial to the Earth's nitrogen cycle and our own metabolism.