Evaluation of Adding Nitrate Into Foods for Regulating Nitric Oxide Bioavailability in Healthy Individuals

Summary

Inorganic nitrate, found in leafy green vegetables and beetroot, can help lower blood pressure and support heart health. Early experimental work has suggested that dietary nitrate supplementation, in the form of beetroot juice or potassium nitrate capsules, can reduce blood pressure and improve endothelial function. Consequently, concentrated nitrate supplements like beetroot juice have become popular. However, these supplements can be expensive, high in sugar, and not to everyone's taste. Since more than three-quarters of adults with high blood pressure live in low- and middle-income countries, it is important to find safe, affordable ways to add nitrate to commonly eaten foods.

The team at Queen Mary University of London has been developing nitrate-fortified products that may be more appealing to a wider population. With support from the food manufacturer Reading Scientific Services Ltd. (RSSL), they have successfully added nitrate to three oat-based products: cereal bar, porridge, and biscuits.

This study aims to explore whether adding nitrate to commonly eaten foods can improve nitric oxide levels in the body and help lower blood pressure in healthy volunteers. Participants will receive the three nitrate-fortified food products in a randomised, crossover design. Nitrate and nitrite concentrations in biological samples, along with blood pressure, will be measured before and at multiple time points after supplementation with the nitrate-fortified products.

Conditions

• Healthy Volunteers
• Nitric Oxide
• Vascular Function

Interventions

DIETARY_SUPPLEMENT

Inorganic potassium nitrate-fortified biscuits supplementation

Four millimoles of inorganic potassium nitrate, within the acceptable daily intake (ADI), were added to commonly consumed oat-based products (biscuits). During the trial, participants will receive nitrate-fortified biscuits as a single-day acute supplementation.

DIETARY_SUPPLEMENT

Inorganic potassium nitrate-fortified cereal bar supplementation

Four millimoles of inorganic potassium nitrate, within the acceptable daily intake (ADI), were added to commonly consumed oat-based products (cereal bar). During the trial, participants will receive nitrate-fortified cereal bar as a single-day acute supplementation.

DIETARY_SUPPLEMENT

Inorganic potassium nitrate-fortified porridge supplementation

Four millimoles of inorganic potassium nitrate, within the acceptable daily intake (ADI), were added to commonly consumed oat-based products (instant porridge). During the trial, participants will receive nitrate-fortified porridge as a single-day acute supplementation.

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Queen Mary University of London

  lead OTHER

Principal Investigators

• Amrita Ahluwalia, BSc PhD · Queen Mary University of London

Study Design

Allocation

RANDOMIZED

Purpose

BASIC_SCIENCE

Masking

NONE

Model

CROSSOVER

Eligibility

Min Age

18 Years

Max Age

60 Years

Sex

ALL

Healthy Volunteers

Yes

Timeline & Regulatory

Start

2025-10-15

Primary Completion

2026-05-31

Completion

2027-02-28

Countries

• United Kingdom

Study Locations