Nitrate and nitrite food composition database: An update and extensive deep dive
Author Identifier
Liezhou Zhong: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6847-4240
Jonathan M. Hodgson: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6184-7764
Joshua R. Lewis: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1003-8443
Lauren C. Blekkenhorst: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1561-9052
Nicola P. Bondonno: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5905-444X
Marc Sim: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5166-0605
Catherine P. Bondonno: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8509-439X
Document Type
Journal Article
Publication Title
American Journal of Clinical Nutrition
Volume
121
Issue
5
First Page
1124
Last Page
1136
Publisher
Elsevier
School
Nutrition and Health Innovation Research Institute / School of Medical and Health Sciences
RAS ID
76856
Funders
Department of Health / Western Australian Future Health Research and Innovation Fund (WANMA/EL2022/8, WANMA/EL2021) / National Health and Medical Research Council / National Heart Foundation (102817, 102498) / Royal Perth Hospital (CAF 00/2020) / Royal Perth Hospital Research Foundation 'Lawrie Beilin' Career Advancement Fellowship (CAF 127/2020)
Grant Number
NHMRC Numbers : 2028286, 1172987, APP1159914
Abstract
Background: Growing evidence suggests that health outcomes of dietary nitrate and nitrite intake are food source dependent. Robust evaluations in dietary studies necessitate a comprehensive and current food composition database of nitrate/nitrite content, along with variation based on country or region of origin, calendar year, growing season, and cooking method. Objectives: The objectives of this study were to update the previous animal- and plant-based food nitrate/nitrite databases and investigate effects of cooking methods, seasonal and geographic variations, and longitudinal changes on nitrate and nitrite content to guide application of the database in observational and clinical studies. Methods: Food nitrate/nitrite composition data was acquired from an extensive worldwide data collation. The animal- and plant-based food nitrate/nitrite databases were combined and substantially expanded. An in-depth data stratification and comparison were performed to explore retention factors of nitrate/nitrite, seasonal differences in vegetable nitrate, geographic variations, and the temporal change in food nitrate/nitrite content over 30 years. Results: The aggregated database has >150,000 nitrate and nitrite values for 823 foods, being 5+ times their original size. Nitrite content in plant foods is presented for the first time, being ≤12.27 mg/kg of fresh weight. Retention factors of 55.00 (39.59–65.56) % (median (interquartile range)) and 279.53 (179.53–386.89) % are now suggested for boiled and fried plant foods, respectively, with a factor of 1.0 for other cooking methods. Significant seasonal variations in plant nitrate and geographic differences in both plant- and animal-based foods are identified, whereas several leafy vegetables show declining nitrate content over 30 years, and longitudinal changes in nitrate and nitrite in animal foods are minor. An objective language–model-assisted data extraction pipeline was established that accommodates regional differences in nitrate/nitrite data reporting. Conclusions: The newly developed database and automated nitrate/nitrite calculator will facilitate future nutritional health studies to estimate dietary nitrate/nitrite exposure more accurately and efficiently and determine the resulting health implications.
DOI
10.1016/j.ajcnut.2025.01.031
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Comments
Zhong, L., Hodgson, J. M., Lewis, J. R., Blekkenhorst, L. C., Bondonno, N. P., Sim, M., ... & Bondonno, C. P. (2025). Nitrate and nitrite food composition database: An update and extensive deep dive. The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 121(5), 1124-1136. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ajcnut.2025.01.031