title: To Be-et, or Not to Be-et, That is the Question: The Role(s) of Nitrate and Nitrite in Health and Illness.
abstract: This manuscript addresses the multilevel role of dietary nitrate and nitrite in health and diseases because of increased interest in dietary supplementation.
  
  
  
  Review of research devoted to both beneficial but also possible deleterious effects of uncontrolled indigestion of red beet-root juice and other sources of high concentrated nitrate and nitrite.
  
  
  
  The body of evidence strongly suggested that persons using nitrate/nitrite supplementation and particularly patients treated with sodium nitrite, having kidney disease or impaired methemoglobin reeducates activity, should closely monitor nitrate/nitrite indigestion.
  
  
  
  Oral intake of red beet-root juice, green leaved veggies, cured meat, as well as urine excretion of nitrate/ nitrite, methemoglobin reeducates activity should be carefully assessed especially in patients treated with sodium nitrite.
authors.affiliation: Retired Clinical Staff Scientists, Surgical Neurology Branch, NINDS/NIH. ryszardpluta@me.com.
authors.forename: Ryszard M
authors.initials: RM
authors.lastname: Pluta
mesh_terms: D004032:Diet; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D009566:Nitrates; D009573:Nitrites; D009753:Nutritive Value
chemical_list: D009566:Nitrates; D009573:Nitrites