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Nitrate-rich vegetables 'could help protect stomach'
08 May 2008
Eating fruit and vegetables which contain high volumes of nitrates can help to protect the stomach against conditions such as gastric ulcers, it has been claimed.
According to scientists at Sweden's Uppsala University, consuming foods such as spinach, lettuce, radishes and beetroot - which are packed with nitrates - can aid in maintaining the stomach's natural defence mechanism.
When swallowed, these nitrates mix with bacteria in the mouth forming nitrites - which in turn are converted into nitric oxide in the stomach.
According to Joel Petersson, of the university's Department of Medical Cell Biology, the oxide helps to widen the blood vessels contained within the stomach's protective mucous membrane.
As these stretch, blood flow to the mucous membrane is increased and elimination of the important mucous layer is better regulated, thus making the natural defence mechanism more efficient.
Mr Petersson says that his thesis suggests that using anti-bacterial mouthwash could have a negative impact on the stomach's protection system as it removes the oral bacteria needed to create the nitric oxide.
"If a mouthwash eliminates the bacterial flora in the mouth this may be important to the normal functioning of the stomach, as the protective levels of nitric oxide greatly decrease," he said.
Today, separate research has revealed that eating spinach can also help to boost strength.
According researchers at Rutgers University, New Jersey, chemicals contained within the vegetable help to speed up the process of transforming protein into muscle mass.
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