title: It is rocket science - why dietary nitrate is hard to 'beet'! Part II: further mechanisms and therapeutic potential of the nitrate-nitrite-NO pathway.
abstract: Dietary nitrate (found in green leafy vegetables such as rocket and in beetroot) is now recognized to be an important source of nitric oxide, via the nitrate-nitrite-NO pathway. Dietary nitrate confers several cardiovascular beneficial effects on blood pressure, platelets, endothelial function, mitochondrial efficiency and exercise. Having described key twists and turns in the elucidation of the pathway and the underlying mechanisms in Part I, we explore the more recent developments which have served to confirm mechanisms, extend our understanding, and discover new properties and potential therapeutic uses of the pathway in Part II. Even the established dependency on low oxygen states for bioactivation of nitrite has recently been challenged. Dietary nitrate appears to be an important component of 'healthy diets', such as the DASH diet to lower blood pressure and the Mediterranean diet, with its potential to lower cardiovascular risk, possibly through beneficial interactions with a range of other constituents. The World Cancer Research Foundation report strong evidence for vegetables including spinach and lettuce (high nitrate-containing) decreasing cancer risk (mouth, pharynx, larynx, oesophagus and stomach), summarized in a 'Nitrate-Cancer Risk Veg-Table'. The European Space Agency recommends that beetroot, lettuce, spinach and rocket (high-nitrate vegetables) are grown to provide food for long-term space missions. Nitrate, an ancient component of rocket fuel, could support sustainable crops for healthy humans.
authors.affiliation: Department of Dietetics and Nutrition, Division of Diabetes and Nutritional Sciences, King's College London, Franklins Wilkins Building, London, SE1 0NH.
authors.forename: Charlotte Elizabeth
authors.initials: CE
authors.lastname: Mills
authors.affiliation: King's College London British Heart Foundation Centre, Cardiovascular Division, Department of Clinical Pharmacology, St.Thomas, Hospital, London, SE1 7EH, UK.
authors.forename: Jibran
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Khatri
authors.affiliation: King's College London British Heart Foundation Centre, Cardiovascular Division, Department of Clinical Pharmacology, St.Thomas, Hospital, London, SE1 7EH, UK.
authors.forename: Perry
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Maskell
authors.affiliation: King's College London British Heart Foundation Centre, Cardiovascular Division, Department of Clinical Pharmacology, St.Thomas, Hospital, London, SE1 7EH, UK.
authors.forename: Chimed
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Odongerel
authors.affiliation: King's College London British Heart Foundation Centre, Cardiovascular Division, Department of Clinical Pharmacology, St.Thomas, Hospital, London, SE1 7EH, UK.
authors.forename: Andrew James
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Webb
mesh_terms: D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000178:diet therapy* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000517:prevention & control; D038441:Diet, Mediterranean; D006801:Humans; D008019:Life Style; D009566:Nitrates / Q000378:metabolism*; D009569:Nitric Oxide / Q000378:metabolism*; D009573:Nitrites / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D009566:Nitrates; D009573:Nitrites; D009569:Nitric Oxide
keywords: blood pressure, cancer, dietary nitrate, endothelial function, exercise, ischaemia-reperfusion, nitrite, platelets