What foods are high in nitrates to lower blood pressure?

November 1, 2025 •

5 min read

Vegetables contribute up to 80% of our daily dietary nitrate intake, which the body converts into a compound that relaxes blood vessels. Discover what foods are high in nitrates to lower blood pressure and support a healthier heart through your diet.

Quick Summary

A healthy, balanced diet including nitrate-rich vegetables like beetroot, spinach, and celery can help produce nitric oxide, promoting blood vessel relaxation and lowering blood pressure.

Key Points

Beetroot is a top source: It contains very high levels of nitrates, with studies confirming its effectiveness in lowering blood pressure.
Focus on leafy greens: Vegetables like spinach, rocket, and lettuce are excellent sources of natural nitrates and other heart-healthy compounds.
Avoid processed meats: The nitrates in processed meats like bacon and deli slices are different from those in vegetables and are not beneficial for cardiovascular health.
Nitrates convert to nitric oxide: Your body converts natural dietary nitrates into nitric oxide, a compound that helps relax and widen blood vessels.
Eat a varied diet: Combining nitrate-rich foods with other nutrient-dense vegetables and fruits can provide a synergistic blood pressure-lowering effect.
Oral hygiene is important: The bacteria on your tongue are essential for converting dietary nitrates into nitrites, a necessary step in the blood pressure-lowering process.

Understanding the Nitrate-Nitrite-Nitric Oxide Pathway

Nitrates are naturally occurring compounds found in air, soil, water, and many foods, particularly vegetables. For a long time, nitrates had a negative reputation, primarily due to their association with processed meats where they can form harmful N-nitroso compounds. However, the nitrates found in plant-based foods behave very differently in the body and offer significant health benefits. The journey from nitrate to its active form, nitric oxide (NO), is a fascinating process that directly impacts blood pressure.

When you consume nitrate-rich vegetables, the nitrates enter the saliva. Bacteria on the tongue convert these nitrates into nitrites. This nitrite-rich saliva is then swallowed. In the acidic environment of the stomach, some of the nitrite is converted into nitric oxide. The remaining nitrite is absorbed into the bloodstream, where it is further converted to nitric oxide.

Nitric oxide is a powerful signaling molecule in the body that causes vasodilation, meaning it relaxes and widens blood vessels. Wider, more relaxed blood vessels reduce resistance to blood flow, which in turn lowers blood pressure. This mechanism is one of the key ways a diet rich in vegetables supports cardiovascular health. A crucial difference is that vegetables also contain protective antioxidants like vitamin C, which prevent the formation of harmful nitrosamines that are a concern with nitrates in processed meats.

Top Foods High in Natural Nitrates

Incorporating a variety of these nutrient-dense foods into your diet is a simple and effective strategy for managing blood pressure.

Beetroot (Beets)

Beetroot is arguably the most well-known source of dietary nitrates for blood pressure management. Studies have repeatedly shown that both beetroot juice and whole beets can significantly lower blood pressure.

A 2015 study showed that high blood pressure patients who drank 250ml of beetroot juice a day saw their blood pressure levels return to the 'normal' range.
Another review found that beetroot juice yielded a significant reduction in clinical systolic blood pressure in hypertensive individuals.

Leafy Green Vegetables

Dark leafy greens are powerhouse sources of nitrates, often containing even higher concentrations than beetroot per serving.

Spinach: A 100-gram serving of spinach contains a substantial amount of nitrates and is a versatile addition to many dishes.
Arugula (Rocket): This peppery green has a very high nitrate content. A 2016 study found a rocket salad beverage effectively lowered blood pressure.
Lettuce: Certain types, such as romaine, butterhead, and oakleaf, are particularly high in nitrates and other nutrients.
Kale: Another member of the leafy green family, kale is rich in nitrates as well as potassium, which also aids in blood pressure control.

Celery

Celery contains not only nitrates but also other bioactive compounds like phthalides and apigenin that contribute to its blood-pressure-lowering effects. Phthalides help relax the smooth muscles inside blood vessel walls. Celery is also a natural diuretic, which helps flush out excess sodium.

Other Nitrate-Rich Vegetables

Many other vegetables offer a good source of natural nitrates and can be easily included in a balanced diet. These include:

Carrots: While not as concentrated as leafy greens, carrots provide a good nitrate boost.
Fennel: This vegetable, with its licorice-like flavor, contains significant nitrates.
Radishes: These root vegetables are a quick and easy way to add nitrates to salads.
Cabbage: Cabbage is a versatile vegetable that can be eaten raw, cooked, or fermented (like in kimchi).

Natural vs. Processed Nitrates

It is crucial to understand the difference between naturally occurring nitrates in vegetables and those added to processed meats. Processed meats, such as bacon, deli meat, and sausages, contain nitrates and nitrites added as preservatives and colorants. When these are cooked at high temperatures, or in the presence of certain meat components, they can form carcinogenic N-nitroso compounds. The American Heart Association, for example, highlights the high sodium content in processed meats as an established risk factor for high blood pressure. In contrast, the nitrates in vegetables are accompanied by beneficial antioxidants like vitamin C and vitamin K, which inhibit the harmful nitrosation process and provide overall health benefits.

Comparison of Nitrate-Rich Foods


Food Source	Nitrate Content Level	Additional Heart-Healthy Nutrients	Consumption Tips
Beetroot	Very High	Potassium, Betalains (antioxidants)	Juiced, roasted, or added raw to salads
Spinach	Very High	Potassium, Magnesium, Folate, Vitamin C	Added to smoothies, salads, soups, curries
Arugula	Very High	Potassium, Vitamin K, Antioxidants	Used in salads, pesto, or as a pizza topping
Celery	High	Phthalides, Apigenin	Eaten raw, juiced, or added to soups and stews
Fennel	High	Vitamin C, Potassium, Fiber	Roasted, grilled, or shaved thinly into salads
Carrots	Medium	Beta-carotene, Fiber, Vitamin K	Roasted, juiced, or shredded raw for salads
Broccoli	Medium	Potassium, Fiber, Vitamin C	Steamed, roasted, or added to stir-fries

Tips for Incorporating Nitrate-Rich Foods

Increasing your intake of these foods is straightforward. Start by adding a handful of spinach to your daily smoothie or sandwich. Include a side of roasted beets or a large arugula salad with your dinner. Juicing can be a quick way to consume concentrated nitrates, but eating whole vegetables is also important for fiber intake. Remember, consistency is key, and aiming for a varied intake of different colored fruits and vegetables will provide the widest range of beneficial nutrients. Paired with a reduced sodium intake and regular physical activity, a high-nitrate diet can be a powerful tool in managing blood pressure. For more detailed information on dietary approaches, consider resources like the British Heart Foundation.

Conclusion

While a single magic food does not exist to cure high blood pressure, a diet rich in natural nitrates from vegetables offers a powerful and well-researched strategy. By focusing on leafy greens like spinach and arugula, and root vegetables like beetroot and celery, individuals can increase their nitric oxide levels and promote healthy blood vessel function. The evidence clearly distinguishes the benefits of naturally occurring plant nitrates from the risks associated with processed meat nitrates. By making simple, consistent dietary choices, you can effectively work toward lowering blood pressure and supporting long-term cardiovascular wellness.

How Dietary Nitrates Work: The Conversion Process

To understand how these foods lower blood pressure, it helps to know the full conversion process:

Ingestion: You eat nitrate-rich vegetables.
Absorption: Nitrates are absorbed and enter the saliva.
Bacterial Reduction: Bacteria on the tongue convert nitrates to nitrites.
Nitric Oxide Formation: Swallowed nitrites are converted to nitric oxide in the stomach's acidic environment.
Vasodilation: Nitric oxide enters the bloodstream and relaxes blood vessel walls, leading to lower blood pressure.

This natural process, enhanced by the high-nitrate content of certain vegetables, is at the heart of their blood pressure-reducing benefits.

Frequently Asked Questions

Studies confirm that both beetroot juice and whole beets can be effective. Juice can provide a more concentrated dose of nitrates, but whole beets offer beneficial fiber and other nutrients that may also help. Some studies suggest the effect of nitrate-rich vegetables is more pronounced than nitrate salt supplements, indicating the benefit of the whole food package.

The blood pressure-lowering effects of dietary nitrates can occur relatively quickly, with some studies showing a peak effect within a few hours of consumption. The effects from beetroot juice have been observed to last up to 24 hours.

The nitrates in vegetables are not considered a health risk and are accompanied by beneficial antioxidants that counteract any potential negative effects. In contrast, the nitrates added to processed meats, without these protective compounds, are associated with health concerns.

While nitrate supplements can increase plasma nitrate and nitrite concentrations, studies have shown that the blood pressure-lowering effect of whole nitrate-rich vegetables can be greater. This suggests that other compounds in the vegetables, like vitamin C and potassium, act synergistically with nitrates to produce the beneficial effect.

Nitrates in vegetables are naturally occurring and coexist with antioxidants that prevent the formation of harmful nitrosamines. In processed meats, nitrates are added for preservation, and when cooked, they can form these potentially carcinogenic compounds. Furthermore, processed meats are typically high in sodium, a known risk factor for high blood pressure.

Short-term studies show a clear blood pressure-lowering effect from nitrate-rich vegetables. However, some longer-term studies have shown inconsistent results, particularly in individuals with mildly elevated blood pressure. This suggests that a high-nitrate diet should be part of a broader, heart-healthy lifestyle that also includes regular exercise and low sodium intake.

Boiling can cause some water-soluble nitrates to leach into the water and be lost. To preserve the nitrate content, it is better to steam, roast, or juice vegetables. For soups and stews, the water is consumed, so the nitrates remain part of the meal.