If you have early high blood pressure and eat a lot of salt, the good effects of eating nitrate-rich foods (like beets or spinach) on lowering blood pressure might be hidden — because too much salt could be canceling them out.

People with early high blood pressure who ate a lot of salt might not have seen their blood pressure drop from eating nitrate-rich foods—because the salt was so high, it could’ve hidden any benefit.

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.

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.

Taking nitrate-rich supplements every day can lower blood pressure just as much in people who aren't on blood pressure meds as in those who are—meaning it might help even more on top of their regular medicine.

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.