5 Ways to Increase Nitric Oxide Naturally | Boost Nitric Oxide Levels
Vegetables high in nitrate include (3Trusted Source):
Celery
Cress
Chervil
Lettuce
Beetroot
Spinach
Arugula
When these foods are consumed, nitrates are converted into nitric oxide, which confers a wide range of health benefits related to heart health and exercise performance.
Several analyses have shown that eating nitrate-rich vegetables can lower blood pressure as much as some blood pressure medications (4Trusted Source
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, 6Trusted Source
, 7Trusted Source).
Strong evidence favors nitrates, especially from beetroot, for improving exercise performance in athletesDespite the effects that nitrates have on nitric oxide production in your body, some people avoid them for fear they are harmful and contribute to cancer.
This is likely because sodium nitrates are commonly used as a preservative and color fixative in bacon, cold cuts, and hot dogs.
Eating these foods is linked to bowel cancer, and nitrates are thought to be the culprit (11Trusted Source
, 12Trusted Source).
Nitrates can form N-nitroso compounds, such as nitrosamine, which are capable of causing cancer.