What's in a Hot Dog? And Are They Really Bad for You?

We all eat 'em. We all buy them for our children. They are a staple of cook-outs and backyard grill sessions all over the United States. No potluck would be complete without them, especially if a little biscuit dough is wrapped around them and baked.

I'm talking about the hot dog. Or weiner, or frank, or frankfurter, or any of the other names these tubes of meat go by. What would a ball game, camping trip, or beach bonfire be without them?

We all probably just assume it's a guilty pleasure, much like the diet soda we wash them down with. But are they really bad for you? And are they, as popularly claimed when I was a kid, made out of animal by-products: lips, ears, and other unmentionables?

That depends, according to hot dog aficionados. Weiner content is regulated by law in the United States. Beef or all-beef hot dogs as the name implies , must contain only beef with no soy or other fillers. Kosher hot dogs are all beef, sometimes flavored with garlic. Weiners simply listed as "meat" usually has a mix of beef, pork, and sometimes chicken. "Frankfurters" may be made from a combination of meats and by-products, and can contain up to three and a half percent fillers by law. Other ingredients consist of flavoring, like garlic, salt, sugar, mustard, coriander, and white pepper. A hot dog by law may have up to 30 percent fat and 10 percent water.

So the message seems simple: stay with the higher-end, all-beef hot dogs and you generally won't run into ingredients you'd rather not name. Of course, if you are vegetarian, chances are you aren't even reading this; but if you are, there is a tube of tofu in a casing so you won't feel left out at the next Fourth of July party.

Now that we have the unsavory connotation dealt with regarding hot dogs, franks, and wieners, what about their nutritional value? How unhealthy are they?

Well, all hot dogs called by whatever name contain sodium nitrite. Some researchers consider sodium nitrite a carcinogen and other experts swear that it isn't. Sodium nitrite does protect effectively against botulism and is used as a preservative and flavor enhancer in many foods, including the hot dog. Some research has indicated that sodium nitrite is associated with higher risks of lung cancer and heart disease. It has also been reported that some people experience a drop in blood pressure after consuming sodium nitrite.

And since these savory tubes of meat can contain up to 30 percent fat, they might not be a good idea for a low-fat diet, either. There are lower-fat franks available. To qualify for lower-fat status, these must contain from one to nine grams of fat. Or there are the no-fat options, containing no more than half a gram of fat. And if that doesn't help, you can switch to the vegetarian ones made from tofu.

But I guarantee that the tofu and no-fat hot dogs won't take you back to your childhood the minute you bite into that crisp, blackened skin and feel salty fat burst open in your mouth. And I don't have much faith in the low-fat kind, either.

We don't have them as a staple in our diet. But for the occasional kid party treat, we go for the all-beef and enjoy every fatty bite. And the experts, surprisingly, agree. There is nothing so horribly wrong about hot dogs, as long as they are eaten sparingly as part of an otherwise healthy diet.