02/22/2025
Greens may help athletes improve their performance and benefit people with high blood pressure and peripheral artery disease. Greens are win-win—rich in nitrates and a good source of potassium. The nitrates from green leafy vegetables are converted to nitric oxide in our body, and potassium increases nitric oxide release.
Nitric oxide from vegetable nitrates, from greens, for instance, not only improves oxygen efficiency, but also oxygen delivery by vasodilation of blood vessels—that is, by opening up our arteries so there’s more blood flow. We can improve our artery function within minutes of consuming greens.
Of all the food groups analyzed by a team of Harvard University researchers, greens were found to be associated with the strongest protection against major chronic diseases. Each additional daily serving may reduce our risk of both heart attacks and strokes up to about 20 percent.
Greens can be added to nearly any meal—in soups, salads, sandwiches, smoothies, and on. If eating more greens, such as kale or collards, is intimidating to you, just chop them up and cook them down.
Watch the videos "Oxygenating Blood with Nitrate-Rich Vegetables" at https://buff.ly/2Q6G7Zc and “Lowering Our Sodium-to-Potassium Ratio to Reduce Stroke Risk” at https://buff.ly/2FhoBPh to learn more.
PMIDs: 19254743, 15523086, 11412050, 10517425, 24780514, 19202069, 21454745, 22709704
