Carcinogenic Effects of N-nitroso Compounds

How do nitrates and nitrites in cured meats chemically form N‑nitroso compounds in the human body?

Nitrate (NO3–) from food or endogenous sources is reduced to nitrite (NO2–) by bacteria and enzymes, and in the acidic stomach environment nitrite is protonated to nitrous acid (HNO2), the key nitrosa...