Benefits of Nitrites and Nitrates RevealedBenefits of Nitrites and Nitrates Revealed

As noted in a recent press release, an animal study led by a researcher from The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston has shown that mice with a diet high in nitrites and nitratesfound in cured meats, as well as some vegetables and regular drinking waterhelped them recover from heart attacks better than mice with low levels in their diets. The results from this research were recently published online in the Proceesings of the National Academy of Sciences.

As noted in the release, mice fed extra nitrite and nitrate had 48% less cell death in the heart following the heart attack. However, mice with a low nitrite and nitrate diet had 59% greater injury. The mice with extra nitrite were also more likely to survive a heart attacka 77% survival rate vs. 58% for the mice deficient in nitrites and nitrates.

This is a very significant finding given the fact that simple components of our dietnitrite and nitratethat we have been taught to fear and restrict in food can now protect the heart from injury, notes lead author Nathan S. Bryan, Ph.D., assistant professor, University of Texas, Houston, Brown Foundation Institute of Molecular Medicine for the Prevention of Human Diseases. Simple changes in our daily dietary habits such as eating nitrite- and nitrate-rich foods, such as fruits and vegetables, and some meats in moderation, can drastically improve outcome following a heart attack.