Abstract
The circulation of nitrogen in nature is a prerequisite for life on earth. In the nitrogen cycle atmospheric nitrogen is fixated by bacteria into forms that can be utilized by plants and mammals. Nitrate and nitrite are obligate intermediates in this cycle, and for more than half a century these anions have interested nutritional scientists, mostly in relation to cancer, because of their ability to form nitrosamines. However, after the discovery of mammalian endogenous nitric oxide (NO) generation and later that its oxidation products nitrate and nitrite can be recycled back to bioactive NO, a novel field of research has emerged that explores a potentially beneficial role of these anions in physiology, nutrition, and therapeutics. In our diet, vegetables are the major source of nitrate that can fuel a nitrate-nitrite-NO pathway. Herein we discuss the nutritional aspects of this pathway and what is presently known about the implications for human health.
Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
