Vegetable-derived bioactive nitrate and cardiovascular health

Catherine P Bondonno; Lauren C Blekkenhorst; Alex H Liu; Nicola P Bondonno; Natalie C Ward; Kevin D Croft; Jonathan M Hodgson

doi:10.1016/j.mam.2017.08.001

Vegetable-derived bioactive nitrate and cardiovascular health

Mol Aspects Med. 2018 Jun:61:83-91. doi: 10.1016/j.mam.2017.08.001. Epub 2017 Sep 7.

Authors

Catherine P Bondonno¹, Lauren C Blekkenhorst², Alex H Liu³, Nicola P Bondonno⁴, Natalie C Ward⁵, Kevin D Croft⁶, Jonathan M Hodgson⁷

Affiliations

¹ School of Medical and Health Sciences, Edith Cowan University, Joondalup, WA, Australia; School of Medicine and Pharmacology, University of Western Australia, Royal Perth Hospital Unit, Perth, WA, Australia. Electronic address: [email protected].
² School of Medicine and Pharmacology, University of Western Australia, Royal Perth Hospital Unit, Perth, WA, Australia. Electronic address: [email protected].
³ School of Medicine and Pharmacology, University of Western Australia, Royal Perth Hospital Unit, Perth, WA, Australia. Electronic address: [email protected].
⁴ School of Medicine and Pharmacology, University of Western Australia, Royal Perth Hospital Unit, Perth, WA, Australia. Electronic address: [email protected].
⁵ School of Medicine and Pharmacology, University of Western Australia, Royal Perth Hospital Unit, Perth, WA, Australia; School of Biomedical Sciences & Curtin Health Innovation Research Institute, Curtin University, Perth, WA, Australia. Electronic address: [email protected].
⁶ School of Medicine and Pharmacology, University of Western Australia, Royal Perth Hospital Unit, Perth, WA, Australia. Electronic address: [email protected].
⁷ School of Medical and Health Sciences, Edith Cowan University, Joondalup, WA, Australia; School of Medicine and Pharmacology, University of Western Australia, Royal Perth Hospital Unit, Perth, WA, Australia. Electronic address: [email protected].

PMID: 28802834
DOI: 10.1016/j.mam.2017.08.001

Abstract

Vegetable derived nitrate is now recognised as an important bioactive phytochemical with cardioprotective properties. Nitrate, through the recently described enterosalivary nitrate-nitrite-nitric oxide (NO) pathway, increases NO, a molecule pivotal for cardiovascular health. Clinical trials have observed that dietary nitrate has similar effects to NO when supplied exogenously. These effects include reduced blood pressure and improvements in other markers of vascular health such as endothelial function, arterial stiffness, ischemia reperfusion injury, blood flow, and platelet aggregation. Few observational studies, however, have examined dietary nitrate intake and long term cardiovascular health outcomes. This represents a significant gap in the literature. There is also a lingering concern about a possible carcinogenic effect of nitrate intake. Additionally, a number of potential factors that could impact nitrate to nitrite to NO reduction have been identified. This review will provide an overview of the evidence to date that nitrate, through its effects on endogenous NO and vascular health, is an important bioactive cardioprotective component of a diet rich in vegetables.

Keywords: Cardiovascular disease; Nitrate; Nitric oxide; Vascular health; Vegetables.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
Review

MeSH terms

Cardiovascular System / drug effects
Cardiovascular System / metabolism*
Diet
Health*
Humans
Nitrates / pharmacology*
Phytochemicals / pharmacology*
Vegetables / chemistry*

Substances

Nitrates
Phytochemicals