Beetroot and Dietary Nitrates: A Practical Guide

Beetroot has gone from a salad ingredient to a staple of sports nutrition. The reason is its high natural nitrate content. Here is how that nitrate connects to nitric oxide, and how to make the most of it.

From nitrate to nitric oxide

1. You eat or drink nitrate from beetroot or leafy greens.
2. It is absorbed, and some of it is recycled into your saliva.
3. Friendly bacteria on your tongue convert nitrate into nitrite.
4. Your body can then turn nitrite into nitric oxide, particularly where oxygen is low.

This is a different route from the arginine pathway, which is why many formulas pair beetroot with amino acids. Read Nitric Oxide 101.

The mouthwash factor

Because oral bacteria do the first conversion, strong antibacterial mouthwash can reduce how much nitrate becomes nitrite. If you take a nitrate source, it is worth knowing about. Brushing your teeth normally is still important.

Food first

Good dietary nitrate sources include:

• Beetroot and beetroot juice
• Rocket (arugula), spinach and lettuce
• Celery, chard and other leafy greens

A powdered beet root ingredient, like the one in Nitric Boost Ultra, is a convenient way to get some on days when your plate falls short. It adds to vegetables rather than replacing them.

Harmless color changes

Large amounts of beetroot can turn urine or stools pink or red. This is called beeturia. It is harmless, but worth knowing about so it doesn't alarm you.

Who should be careful

People with a history of kidney stones may be advised to limit high-oxalate foods such as beets. If you take medication for blood pressure or heart conditions, talk to your doctor before adding a concentrated nitrate supplement.

See the circulation focus area or view all Nitric Boost Ultra ingredients.