Pharmacokinetics of Nitrate and Nitrite Following Beetroot Juice Drink Consumption

Overview

Journal Nutrients

Date 2021 Jan 27

PMID 33498220

Citations 4

Authors

Emily Margaret Jakubcik

Kay Rutherfurd-Markwick

Marsanne Chabert

Marie Wong

Ajmol Ali

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Background: Nitrate (NO )-rich beetroot (BR) juice supplementation has been shown to improve cardiovascular function via reduction to nitrite (NO ) and then to the bioactive molecule nitric oxide (NO). However, limited research exists for the role of inorganic NO that is contained naturally within BR.

Objective: As BR juice can naturally contain both NO and NO the objective of this study was to evaluate the individual effects of NO and NO consumed from BR on plasma [NO ]/[NO ] and their subsequent effects on various cardiovascular measures.

Design: In four separate treatments, 11 healthy adults consumed 250 mL of BR containing one of the following: (i) high NO , low NO (HL; 572 mg NO , 32 mg NO ); (ii) medium NO , medium NO (MM; 280 mg NO , 237 mg NO ); (iii) low NO , medium NO (LM; 43 mg NO , 262 mg NO ); (iv) placebo (PL; low NO , low NO : 8 mg NO , 5.8 mg NO ). Plasma [NO ]/[NO ], blood pressure, heart rate, mean arterial pressure (MAP), cardiac output and stroke volume were measured at baseline and every hour or second hour for 6 h post-BR consumption.

Outcomes: Ingestion of the HL and MM BR increased plasma [NO ] and [NO ] after 2 h, with both remaining elevated after 6 h ( < 0.05). LM increased plasma [NO ] ( < 0.05) but did not increase plasma [NO ] compared to PL ( = 0.177). MAP was lower following the consumption of HL at 4 h and LM at 6 h ( < 0.05).

Conclusion: Inorganic NO consumption is the critical factor in elevating plasma [NO ] and [NO ]; however, both NO and NO show potential to reduce MAP. The known reduction of systolic blood pressure (SBP)/diastolic blood pressure (DBP) following NO supplementation was not observed, making it unclear if NO contributes to a reduction in SBP/DBP alongside NO .

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