Forget Beetroot Juice, Eat More Vegetables For Nitrate Potency And Longer Life
Lower blood pressure and more flexible arteries
There is a growing body of evidence suggesting that dietary nitrate may have a protective role in health, in particular vascular health, and in particular by lowering blood pressure.
Coronary heart disease (CHD), stroke, and heart failure are three of the leading causes of death globally. Cardiovascular Diseases (CVDs) are responsible for a significant (typically about 25%) of premature deaths, and the risk substantially increases with age.
For such a major public health problem, it is perhaps surprising that by simply improved our diet quality — by eating more vegetables — we can substantially reduce the risk of dying early.
For example, in a study of vegetable intake in Japan, China, and Hong Kong, confirmed the benefits.
The study found dietary exposure to nitrate from raw vegetables was found to be up to 350% the average recommended daily intake (for high-vegetable consumers). Leafy greens, including spinach, bok choy, and Chinese cabbage, were associated with lower systolic and diastolic blood pressure.
Japanese meal patterns rely on a wide variety of vegetables, and it is believed that dietary nitrate…
