The existing evidence on inorganic nitrate or nitrite supplementation for cognitive function and cerebral blood flow is limited by small sample sizes and short intervention durations, which increases the risk of type II errors and prevents detection of subtle but meaningful effects.

Eating nitrate-rich foods or supplements leads to bacteria in the mouth converting nitrate into nitrite, which then turns into nitric oxide in the blood. Nitric oxide relaxes the walls of small blood vessels in the brain, allowing more blood to flow. This increased blood flow delivers more oxygen and fuel to brain areas used for thinking, which supports clearer and faster mental performance.