Medicines called organic nitrates help relax blood vessels by releasing nitric oxide, but over time, they stop working as well, can make you feel dizzy or headachy, and might even harm the inside of your blood vessels.

When people take nitrate medications for a long time, their body gets used to them and they stop working as well—this happens because the drugs cause cellular stress, damage the energy factories in cells, and make a key signaling molecule less responsive, so blood vessels don't open up as much anymore.

Taking nitrate supplements helps protect blood vessels from damage caused by temporary lack of blood flow followed by restoration of blood flow.

Eating foods with nitrate and nitrite, like leafy greens and cured meats, might help lower blood pressure, protect your heart when blood flow is interrupted, improve blood vessel function, prevent blood clots, help your cells make energy better, and improve signs of metabolic syndrome—even when your body doesn’t have enough oxygen.

When too much nitrate messes up your blood vessels, taking antioxidants like vitamin C or BH4 can fix it—this suggests that harmful molecules called free radicals are what’s really breaking down your blood vessel function.

If your body gets better at using natural compounds from vegetables like beets to make a helpful gas called NO, it might help your metabolism, heart, and kidneys work better.