Dietary nitrogen compounds: what the evidence shows about GI cancer risk

By Carolina Lima | Published on April 1st, 2026 | 3 min read


The relationship between diet and gastrointestinal (GI) cancer risk continues to be an area of active investigation, particularly regarding compounds capable of endogenous nitrosation.

A recent systematic review and meta analysis published in Toxics (2023) provides one of the most comprehensive evaluations to date, synthesizing evidence from 40 epidemiological studies linking dietary nitrate, nitrite and N nitroso compounds (NOCs) with major GI malignancies. Because these compounds are basically everywhere, these findings have meaningful implications for clinical practice.