How do you increase nitrates in your body?

January 13, 2026 •

4 min read

According to the CDC, over 80% of our daily nitrate intake comes from vegetables, which are a safe and effective way to increase nitrates in your body. Optimizing your intake of these compounds, which are converted to nitric oxide, is crucial for cardiovascular health, athletic performance, and overall well-being. This guide explores the best dietary and lifestyle methods for boosting your body's nitrate levels effectively.

Quick Summary

This guide details natural and supplemental methods for boosting nitrates, which the body converts into nitric oxide. Learn about key foods, lifestyle changes like exercise, and safe supplement options to improve blood flow, heart health, and athletic performance.

Key Points

Consume Nitrate-Rich Vegetables: Prioritize leafy greens like spinach, arugula, and beets, as they are the safest and most effective way to increase nitrates naturally.
Exercise Regularly: Engage in cardiovascular or HIIT workouts to stimulate the endothelial cells that produce nitric oxide, improving blood flow and athletic performance.
Consider L-Citrulline Supplements: For targeted performance enhancement, L-citrulline is often more effective than L-arginine at increasing nitric oxide levels, especially for moderately trained individuals.
Limit Processed Meats and Antibacterial Mouthwash: Avoid high consumption of processed meats with synthetic nitrates, and reduce the use of mouthwash to protect beneficial oral bacteria crucial for nitrate conversion.
Manage Stress and Get Enough Sleep: High stress can inhibit nitric oxide production, so relaxation and sufficient rest are important for maintaining healthy levels.

The body naturally produces nitric oxide, a signaling molecule vital for many physiological processes, including widening blood vessels to improve blood flow. Insufficient nitric oxide can negatively impact cardiovascular health and athletic performance, but increasing your intake of dietary nitrates from specific foods is a proven way to support this pathway. Nitrates are converted to nitrites by beneficial oral bacteria, which are then processed into nitric oxide in the bloodstream.

Dietary Strategies: Foods High in Nitrates

The most effective and safest method to increase nitrate levels is through a diet rich in certain vegetables. These plant-based sources come packaged with protective antioxidants that prevent the formation of harmful compounds sometimes associated with processed meat nitrates.

Top Foods to Include in Your Diet

Beets and Beetroot Juice: Beets are famously rich in dietary nitrates, with studies showing significant increases in nitric oxide levels and improved exercise performance after consuming beet juice.
Leafy Greens: This category, including spinach, arugula, kale, and lettuce, accounts for the majority of the average daily nitrate intake. They are powerhouse foods that support cardiovascular health and blood pressure regulation.
Other Nitrate-Rich Vegetables: Celery, Chinese cabbage, fennel, and radishes are also excellent sources. Incorporating a variety of these vegetables into your meals ensures a steady supply of nitrates.
Fruits and Nuts: Certain fruits like pomegranates and citrus varieties, as well as nuts such as almonds and walnuts, provide nutrients that support nitric oxide production, though their nitrate content may be lower than vegetables.

Lifestyle Adjustments for Optimal Nitric Oxide

Beyond dietary intake, several lifestyle factors play a significant role in enhancing your body's natural production of nitric oxide. These methods complement a nitrate-rich diet for maximum effect.

Regular Exercise

Exercise, particularly cardiovascular and high-intensity interval training (HIIT), stimulates the endothelial cells lining your blood vessels to produce more nitric oxide. This leads to vasodilation, improving blood flow and oxygen delivery to muscles, which in turn enhances athletic performance and recovery. A sedentary lifestyle, conversely, can impair endothelial function and reduce nitric oxide production.

Limiting Antibacterial Mouthwash

Certain oral bacteria are essential for converting nitrates from food into nitrites, a crucial step in the nitric oxide production pathway. Using antibacterial mouthwash can eliminate these beneficial bacteria for up to 12 hours, potentially decreasing your body's ability to produce nitric oxide from dietary sources. It is advisable to moderate the use of such products if you are focused on maximizing your nitric oxide levels.

Manage Stress and Improve Sleep

Chronic stress can lead to the overproduction of stress hormones like cortisol, which negatively impacts nitric oxide levels. Incorporating relaxation techniques such as meditation, yoga, or deep breathing can help reduce stress and support nitric oxide balance. Adequate sleep is also vital for healthy nitric oxide production and maintenance.

Supplementation Options

While a whole-food diet is the ideal approach, supplements can be a practical option for some individuals, particularly athletes or those with specific health concerns, to ensure consistent nitrate intake. Consultation with a healthcare provider is recommended before starting any new supplement regimen.

Supplement Comparison: L-Arginine vs. L-Citrulline vs. Nitrate


Feature	L-Arginine	L-Citrulline	Nitrate Supplement (e.g., Beetroot Extract)
Mechanism	Directly involved in NO synthesis via NOS pathway.	Converted to L-arginine in the kidneys, which is then used for NO synthesis.	Directly supplies dietary nitrates, which are converted to nitrites and then NO.
Efficacy	Often less effective orally as much is broken down in the liver before absorption.	More effective at increasing L-arginine and NO levels than L-arginine supplements alone.	Highly effective, especially for athletic performance and reducing blood pressure.
Side Effects	Can cause gastrointestinal issues at doses as low as 10 grams.	Generally considered safe with low risk of side effects, even at high doses.	Usually minimal side effects, but some individuals may experience GI distress with high doses.
Best For	Specific therapeutic use under medical supervision.	General NO-boosting and athletic performance.	Targeted performance enhancement, especially for endurance and power sports.

Potential Risks and Considerations

While dietary nitrates from vegetables are overwhelmingly beneficial, it's important to differentiate them from the synthetic nitrates and nitrites used in processed meats like bacon and hot dogs. These additives, in combination with heme iron, can form potentially carcinogenic compounds called nitrosamines. In contrast, the antioxidants present in vegetables counteract this process, making them the preferred source. Excessive intake of nitrates, particularly from contaminated water, can pose a risk, especially to infants, by causing a condition called methemoglobinemia. However, this is not a concern with a typical, healthy vegetable-rich diet.

Conclusion

Increasing your body's nitrate levels is a straightforward and highly effective way to improve cardiovascular function, support athletic performance, and enhance overall health. The primary and most recommended method is to consume a diet rich in nitrate-heavy vegetables like leafy greens and beets. Supporting this with a consistent exercise routine and managing stress further boosts your body’s natural nitric oxide production. For those seeking additional support, targeted supplements like L-citrulline or beetroot extract can be considered, ideally after consulting a healthcare professional. By focusing on a whole-food, active lifestyle, you can safely and naturally increase your body's nitrates and reap the associated health benefits.

Learn more about the biochemistry of nitric oxide and its pathways.

Frequently Asked Questions

The fastest way to increase nitrates is by consuming a bolus dose of beetroot juice or a standardized nitrate shot, as the compounds are absorbed and converted to nitric oxide within 2 to 3 hours.

Nitrates from vegetables are paired with beneficial antioxidants, which prevent the formation of harmful nitrosamines. In contrast, nitrates in processed meats can lead to nitrosamine formation due to the presence of heme iron and a lack of protective antioxidants.

While supplements can provide a concentrated dose of nitrates, sourcing them from whole foods like vegetables is generally safer and healthier due to the presence of antioxidants and other nutrients. For athletes, supplements can offer a standardized dose for performance optimization.

Yes, regular exercise, especially cardio, increases shear stress on blood vessel walls, which stimulates the endothelial cells to produce more nitric oxide. This improves blood flow and oxygen delivery.

Using antibacterial mouthwash can kill the beneficial oral bacteria responsible for converting dietary nitrates into nitrites. This interrupts the nitric oxide pathway and can negatively affect production.

Higher nitrate levels can lead to several benefits, including reduced blood pressure, improved blood flow and circulation, enhanced athletic performance and endurance, and better oxygen delivery to muscles.

Excessive exposure to nitrates, typically from sources like contaminated well water, can lead to health problems, most notably methemoglobinemia in infants. However, this is not a concern with a balanced, vegetable-rich diet.