Dietary Nitrates And Nitrites
We conducted a meta analysis to provide a quantitative assessment of their relationships.
Dietary nitrates and nitrites. 13 higher dietary intake of nitrate and nitrite would most likely result in. The presence of nitrates and nitrites in food is associated with an increased risk of gastrointestinal cancer and in infants methemoglobinemia. 12 approximately 5 of ingested nitrate is converted to nitrite in the saliva. Dietary nitrates and nitrites can also change into nitric oxide dilate the blood vessels and lower blood pressure.
The potential associations between dietary consumption of nitrates nitrites and nitrosamines and gastric cancer risk have been investigated by several studies but yielded inconclusive results. Relevant articles were identified by a systematic literature searching of pubmed and embase databases prior to. Studies have suggested that nitrates nitrites and nitrosamines have an etiologic role in adverse pregnancy outcomes and chronic diseases such as cancer. This effect is associated with a reduced risk regarding cardiovascular disease myocardial infarction.
Increasing dietary nitrate also seems most beneficial in less fit individuals and those with a previously low dietary nitrate intake. Dietary supplementation of nitrites can cause methemoglobinemia and interfere with oxygenation of the blood. Studies have shown that foods that are high in nitrates and nitrites such as. We developed estimates of nitrates nitrites and nitrosamines for food items.
Dietary nitrate may be most relevant to those with muscular lung or blood vessel impairments for example low muscle mass breathing problems or high blood pressure. Nitrite is a necessary substrate in the formation of n nitroso compounds from nitrosatable drugs and its concentration in the body depends on nitrate and nitrite intake in food and water. Nitrate poisoning is also possible when babies younger than 3 months are fed homemade baby food from nitrate containing vegetables but that s less of a problem since you really shouldn t be. It can be partially converted to nitrogen monoxide which induces vasodilation and thereby decreases blood pressure.
Furthermore dietary nitrite and nitrate can contribute to the formation of potentially carcinogenic nitrosamines although the epidemiological association of dietary nitrogen oxides with cancer has been questioned. Although an extensive body of literature exists on estimates of these compounds in foods the extant data varies in quality quantified estimates and relevance. Nitrate is a natural constituent of the human diet and an approved food additive.