Our results showed some surprising benefits of eating high-nitrate vegetables.
The results for blood pressure have significant health implications. Extrapolating the benefit observed in our study group across the whole population of the UK could mean a reduction in adverse cardiovascular events, such as heart attacks and strokes, by around 10%.
For exercise, our results indicate that eating a high-nitrate vegetable meal before exercise reduces the effort required, so it might make people more inclined to exercise. It would suggest that the physical tasks of daily living, such as climbing stairs or walking to the local shops, would feel a little less tiring after eating a high-nitrate vegetable meal.
When it came to mental benefits, our results suggested that high-nitrate vegetables did not make any difference to mental performance in situations where people are at rest, but did appear to help maintain mental sharpness following exercise.
This is a fascinating result with some potential applications to everyday routines. For people who cycle or walk a substantial distance to work, consuming vegetables rich in nitrate beforehand could result in less ‘brain fade’ once at the office.
It is also surprising that these effects were observed after a single meal.
Taken together, these results suggest that eating high-nitrate vegetables can bring multiple and substantial benefits to health.
