The Claim
In healthy adults, the strength of the correlation between increased red blood cell S-nitrosothiols and reduced systolic blood pressure is not significantly different from the strength of the correlation between increased red blood cell nitrite and reduced systolic blood pressure.
What the research says
Supports is higher
Support is ahead, but a single strong opposing study can change this.
These are independent scores, not a percentage. Higher-grade studies count more, so a single strong opposing study can outweigh several weaker ones.
In healthy adults, the relationship between higher levels of S-nitrosothiols in red blood cells and lower systolic blood pressure is similar in strength to the relationship between higher levels of nitrite in red blood cells and lower systolic blood pressure.
See the scientific wording
In healthy adults, the strength of the correlation between increased red blood cell S-nitrosothiols and reduced systolic blood pressure is not significantly different from that between increased red blood cell nitrite and reduced systolic blood pressure, suggesting both may play comparable roles in nitric oxide-mediated blood pressure regulation.
When you eat nitrate-rich foods, your body turns the nitrate into nitrite, which enters red blood cells. Inside the red blood cells, nitrite forms S-nitrosothiols and other nitrite-derived compounds that release nitric oxide. This nitric oxide relaxes blood vessel walls, making them wider and reducing the pressure inside them.
What the research says
1 studyWhen people drank beetroot juice, both S-nitrosothiols and nitrite in their red blood cells went up, and their blood pressure went down — and the links were just as strong for both molecules, meaning they probably both help lower blood pressure in similar ways.
Score breakdown, mechanism chain, raw evidence, ideal studies needed & 1 supporting studies
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional before making health decisions.