Document Type

Journal Article

Publication Title

Food & Function

Publisher

Royal Society of Chemistry

School

Nutrition and Health Innovation Research Institute

RAS ID

54200

Comments

This is an Author Accepted Manuscript version of an article published by Royal Society of Chemistry, in Food & Function.

Reproduced from Food & Function with permission from the Royal Society of Chemistry.

Rajendra, A., Bondonno, N. P., Rainey-Smith, S. R., Gardener, S. L., Hodgson, J. M., & Bondonno, C. P. (2022). Potential role of dietary nitrate in relation to cardiovascular and cerebrovascular health, cognition, cognitive decline and dementia: A review. Food & Function, 13(24), 12572-12589. https://doi.org/10.1039/d2fo02427f

Abstract

There is currently no effective treatment for dementia, of which Alzheimer's disease (AD) is the most common form. It is, therefore, imperative to focus on evidence-based preventive strategies to combat this extremely debilitating chronic disease. Nitric oxide (NO) is a key signalling molecule in the cardiovascular, cerebrovascular, and central nervous systems. Vegetables rich in nitrate, such as spinach and beetroot, are an important source of NO, with beneficial effects on validated markers of cardiovascular health and an association with a lower risk of cardiovascular disease. Given the link between cardiovascular disease risk factors and dementia, together with the important role of NO in vascular health and cognition, it is important to determine whether dietary nitrate could also improve cognitive function, markers of brain health, and lower risk of dementia. This review presents an overview of NO's role in the cardiovascular, cerebrovascular, and central nervous systems; an overview of the available evidence that nitrate, through effects on NO, improves cardiovascular health; and evaluates the current evidence regarding dietary nitrate's potential role in cerebrovascular health, cognitive function, and brain health assessed via biomarkers.

DOI

10.1039/d2fo02427f

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