Eating more nitrate-rich vegetables for 16 weeks doesn’t lower blood pressure or make arteries stiffer in people with early high blood pressure—so it doesn’t help these heart health markers in the short term.

68

Pro

0

Against

Evidence from Studies

Supporting (1)

68

Community contributions welcome

68

No Difference between the Efficacy of High-Nitrate and Low-Nitrate Vegetable Supplementation on Blood Pressure after 16 Weeks in Individuals with Early-Stage Hypertension: An Exploratory, Double-Blinded, Randomized, Controlled Trial

Randomized Controlled Trial

Human

2024 Sep 6

Scientists gave people with slightly high blood pressure either lots of nitrate-rich veggies or very little for 16 weeks and found no difference in their blood pressure or artery health — so the nitrate didn’t help, just like the claim says.

Contradicting (0)

0

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No contradicting evidence found

Gold Standard Evidence Needed

According to GRADE and EBM methodology, here is what ideal scientific evidence would look like to definitively prove or disprove this specific claim, ordered from strongest to weakest evidence.

Source Study

No Difference between the Efficacy of High-Nitrate and Low-Nitrate Vegetable Supplementation on Blood Pressure after 16 Weeks in Individuals with Early-Stage Hypertension: An Exploratory, Double-Blinded, Randomized, Controlled Trial

Score: 68

DOI: 10.3390/nu16173018

Similar Assertions

If you have slightly high blood pressure and aren’t taking medicine, taking a daily supplement with a lot of nitrate from veggies doesn’t lower your blood pressure any more than taking a tiny amount — so more nitrate doesn’t help here.

68

0

92%

If you have slightly high blood pressure and aren’t taking medicine, taking a high dose of nitrate from vegetable powder for 16 weeks doesn’t lower your blood pressure any more than taking a low dose—so more nitrate doesn’t help here.

68

0

92%

If you eat more foods rich in nitrate—like spinach or beets—your blood pressure might drop a little bit each day, and this effect is even stronger if you already have high blood pressure. It could be a natural way to help manage blood pressure without pills.

68

0

88%

Taking nitrate supplements for 16 weeks doesn’t seem to change cholesterol, good/bad fats in the blood, or inflammation markers in people with early high blood pressure—so it doesn’t help those things in this group.

68

0

86%

If you have early high blood pressure and take a daily nitrate supplement—either a high dose or a low one—for 16 weeks, your cholesterol, good and bad fats, and inflammation levels don’t change much, and it doesn’t matter which dose you take.

68

0

86%