Department of Food Science and Human Nutrition, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, USA.
Curr Atheroscler Rep. 2011 Dec;13(6):484-92. doi: 10.1007/s11883-011-0209-9.
Dietary nitrate (NO(3)), nitrite (NO(2)), and arginine can serve as sources for production of NO(x) (a diverse group of metabolites including nitric oxide, nitrosothiols, and nitroalkenes) via ultraviolet light exposure to skin, mammalian nitrate/nitrite reductases in tissues, and nitric oxide synthase enzymes, respectively. NO(x) are responsible for the hypotensive, antiplatelet, and cytoprotective effects of dietary nitrates and nitrites. Current regulatory limits on nitrate intakes, based on concerns regarding potential risk of carcinogenicity and methemoglobinemia, are exceeded by normal daily intakes of single foods, such as soya milk and spinach, as well as by some recommended dietary patterns such as the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension diet. This review includes a call for regulatory bodies to consider all available data on the beneficial physiologic roles of nitrate and nitrite in order to derive rational bases for dietary recommendations.
饮食中的硝酸盐（NO3-）、亚硝酸盐（NO2-）和精氨酸可以通过紫外线照射皮肤、组织中的哺乳动物硝酸盐/亚硝酸盐还原酶和一氧化氮合酶分别转化为 NOx（一氧化氮、亚硝基硫醇和硝基烯烃等多种代谢物）。NOx 负责饮食中硝酸盐和亚硝酸盐的降压、抗血小板和细胞保护作用。目前基于对潜在致癌性和高铁血红蛋白血症风险的担忧，对硝酸盐摄入量的监管限制，已经超过了正常每日单种食物（如豆浆和菠菜）的摄入量，以及一些推荐的饮食模式，如停止高血压的饮食方法。这篇综述呼吁监管机构考虑硝酸盐和亚硝酸盐在生理方面的所有可用数据，以便为饮食建议提供合理的依据。
