PICKLED FRUITS

Pickled fruits are really tasty and rather addictive.  My late father loved them and would usually have a packet or two kept in the fridge.  I was told by his doctor, that eating too much of the pickled stuff contributed to his diabetes and high blood pressure which led to kidney failure.  Why?  One is because the heavy salt and sugar used to pickle the fruit is bad for blood pressure and blood sugar.  Second, the nitrates used in commercial pickling have been linked consistently to stomach cancer.