*These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. Consult your doctor before starting any supplement regimen.
TL;DR: Your body produces nitric oxide (NO) from dietary nitrates, L-arginine, and polyphenols found in everyday foods. The richest sources include beetroot, arugula, spinach, pomegranate, citrus fruits, and dark chocolate. Eating a variety of these foods daily can help support healthy NO levels, circulation, and cardiovascular health — no supplements required for most people, though they can help fill gaps.
Last updated: March 2026
How Do Foods Increase Nitric Oxide in Your Body?
Your body produces nitric oxide through two main pathways, and the foods you eat fuel both of them.
The first is the nitrate-nitrite-NO pathway. When you eat nitrate-rich vegetables like beetroot or spinach, bacteria on your tongue convert those nitrates into nitrites, which your body then reduces into nitric oxide. This pathway becomes increasingly important as you age, because the other pathway — the enzyme-dependent L-arginine/eNOS route — becomes less efficient over time (Lundberg et al., 2008).
The second pathway uses L-arginine, an amino acid found in nuts, seeds, and meat. The enzyme eNOS converts L-arginine directly into nitric oxide inside your blood vessels.
A third group of compounds — polyphenols and antioxidants — doesn't produce NO directly but protects the nitric oxide your body has already made from being broken down too quickly. Foods like pomegranate, dark chocolate, and red wine work through this mechanism.
For a deeper look at how nitric oxide works in your body, see our guide: What Is Nitric Oxide and Why Does It Matter?
Which Foods Are Highest in Nitrates?
Nitrate content varies significantly across vegetables. The table below shows approximate nitrate levels per 100 grams of raw food, based on data from the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) and peer-reviewed analyses (Hord et al., 2009).
| Food | Nitrate Content (mg per 100g) | Category |
|---|---|---|
| Arugula (Rocket) | ~480 | Very High |
| Spinach | ~250 | Very High |
| Lettuce (Butterhead) | ~200 | High |
| Beetroot | ~150 | High |
| Celery | ~150 | High |
| Radish | ~130 | High |
| Bok Choy | ~100 | Moderate |
| Cabbage | ~50 | Moderate |
| Garlic | ~10 | Low (works via other mechanisms) |
Key takeaway: Arugula and spinach are the nitrate champions — gram for gram, arugula contains more dietary nitrate than any other common vegetable. But beetroot stands out because of its unique combination of nitrates, betalains, and polyphenols working together.
What Are the Best Foods That Boost Nitric Oxide?
Below are 12 foods with the strongest evidence for supporting nitric oxide production. Each one works through a slightly different mechanism — which is why eating a variety is more effective than relying on just one.
1. Beetroot
Beetroot is the single most studied food for nitric oxide support. It contains roughly 150 mg of nitrate per 100g, plus betalains (the pigments that give beets their deep red color) and polyphenols that provide antioxidant protection.
A meta-analysis published in the Journal of Nutrition found that dietary nitrate from beetroot juice was associated with modest but meaningful support for healthy blood pressure levels in adults, with effects appearing within 2-3 hours of consumption (Siervo et al., 2013).
How to eat more: Roast beets as a side dish, blend raw beets into smoothies, grate them into salads, or drink beetroot juice. If the earthy taste isn't your thing, concentrated beetroot supplements or gummies offer a convenient alternative.
2. Spinach
Spinach is one of the highest-nitrate vegetables available, with approximately 250 mg per 100g. It's also rich in vitamin C, which helps protect nitric oxide molecules from oxidative breakdown.
Because spinach is so versatile in the kitchen, it's one of the easiest nitrate-rich foods to eat daily.
How to eat more: Add raw spinach to smoothies (you won't taste it), use it as a salad base, wilt it into pasta or eggs, or blend it into soups. Light cooking is fine — it reduces nitrate content slightly but improves absorption of other nutrients like iron.
3. Arugula (Rocket)
Arugula is the quiet nitrate powerhouse. At approximately 480 mg of nitrate per 100g, it tops the charts — higher than both beetroot and spinach. Its peppery flavor comes from glucosinolates, which also have their own antioxidant properties.
How to eat more: Use arugula as a salad base or pizza topping, toss it into sandwiches, or blend it into pesto. Because it has a strong flavor, mixing it with milder greens (like romaine or butter lettuce) makes it easier to eat in larger quantities.
4. Celery
Celery provides around 150 mg of nitrate per 100g and has a long history in traditional medicine for cardiovascular support. It also contains phthalides, compounds that may help relax the smooth muscle tissue in blood vessel walls.
How to eat more: Eat celery raw with hummus or nut butter, juice it alongside beetroot and apples, dice it into salads, or add it to soups and stir-fries. Celery juice has become popular, though whole celery retains more fiber.
5. Lettuce and Leafy Greens
Butterhead and leaf lettuces contain approximately 200 mg of nitrate per 100g — surprisingly close to spinach. Even iceberg lettuce, often dismissed as nutritionally empty, provides a moderate amount of dietary nitrate.
Kale, Swiss chard, and other dark leafy greens also contribute meaningful nitrate levels along with vitamins C, K, and folate.
How to eat more: Build a daily salad habit using a mix of romaine, butterhead, and darker greens. Wraps, smoothies, and side salads at dinner are simple ways to add volume.
6. Pomegranate
Pomegranate works differently from the nitrate-rich vegetables above. Instead of providing raw nitrate, pomegranate is loaded with polyphenols — particularly punicalagins and ellagic acid — that help protect existing nitric oxide from being destroyed by oxidative stress.
A study in Nitric Oxide: Biology and Chemistry found that pomegranate juice enhanced the biological activity of nitric oxide synthase and protected NO from oxidative destruction (Ignarro et al., 2006).
How to eat more: Drink 100% pomegranate juice (look for no added sugar), sprinkle fresh seeds on salads or yogurt, or add pomegranate concentrate to smoothies.
7. Citrus Fruits
Oranges, lemons, grapefruits, and limes are rich in vitamin C, which plays a dual role in nitric oxide support. First, vitamin C stabilizes nitric oxide molecules and slows their breakdown. Second, it supports the regeneration of tetrahydrobiopterin (BH4), a cofactor essential for the eNOS enzyme that produces NO from L-arginine.
How to eat more: Eat whole citrus fruits for the fiber and flavonoids, squeeze fresh lemon or lime over vegetables and fish, or start your morning with a glass of fresh orange juice. Pairing citrus with nitrate-rich foods (like lemon juice on an arugula salad) may enhance NO production.
8. Watermelon
Watermelon is one of the richest natural sources of L-citrulline, an amino acid your body converts into L-arginine, which then fuels nitric oxide production through the eNOS pathway. The L-citrulline is concentrated in the rind, though the red flesh contains meaningful amounts too.
This makes watermelon unique on this list — it supports NO through the amino acid pathway rather than the dietary nitrate pathway.
How to eat more: Eat fresh watermelon as a snack or dessert, blend it into smoothies or agua fresca, or (for the adventurous) pickle or stir-fry the rind, which contains the most L-citrulline per gram.
9. Dark Chocolate and Cocoa
Cocoa is rich in flavanols — a type of polyphenol that stimulates the endothelium (the lining of your blood vessels) to produce more nitric oxide. Flavanols activate the eNOS enzyme and also protect existing NO from breakdown.
The key is cocoa percentage. Milk chocolate has minimal flavanol content. Aim for dark chocolate with 70% cocoa or higher, or use raw cacao powder.
How to eat more: Keep a bar of 70%+ dark chocolate for a daily square or two, add raw cacao powder to smoothies or oatmeal, or make hot cocoa with unsweetened cacao and minimal sugar. A little goes a long way — you don't need much to get the flavanol benefits.
10. Garlic
Garlic doesn't contain significant nitrates, but it supports nitric oxide through other mechanisms. Garlic contains quercetin and allicin, which may increase the activity of nitric oxide synthase (the enzyme that produces NO) and reduce the oxidative stress that breaks NO down.
Aged garlic extract, in particular, has been studied for its cardiovascular support properties.
How to eat more: Use fresh garlic generously in cooking — crush or chop it and let it sit for 10 minutes before cooking to activate the allicin. Add raw garlic to salad dressings, roast whole cloves as a side, or consider aged garlic supplements if the flavor is too strong.
11. Nuts and Seeds
Walnuts, almonds, flaxseeds, and pumpkin seeds are rich in L-arginine — the amino acid your body uses directly to produce nitric oxide via the eNOS enzyme. They also provide vitamin E and healthy fats that support cardiovascular health.
Walnuts deserve a special mention: they contain both L-arginine and polyphenols, giving them a dual mechanism for NO support.
How to eat more: Keep a handful of mixed nuts as a daily snack, add ground flaxseed to oatmeal or smoothies, sprinkle pumpkin seeds on salads, or use walnut-based pesto on pasta.
12. Red Wine (in Moderation)
Red wine contains resveratrol, a polyphenol that has been shown in laboratory studies to stimulate nitric oxide synthase activity. Resveratrol is concentrated in the skins of red grapes, which are used more extensively in red wine production than white.
The important caveat: the cardiovascular benefits of red wine appear to follow a J-shaped curve, meaning moderate intake (one glass per day for women, up to two for men) is associated with potential benefits, while heavier consumption eliminates them.
Practical note: If you don't already drink, there's no reason to start for nitric oxide. Grapes, grape juice, and grape seed extract provide similar polyphenols without the alcohol.
Can You Get Enough Nitric Oxide from Food Alone?
For most healthy adults, the honest answer is yes — a diet rich in leafy greens, beets, citrus fruits, nuts, and other foods on this list can provide the building blocks your body needs to maintain healthy nitric oxide production.
Research suggests that a daily intake of roughly 300-400 mg of dietary nitrate — the amount found in about 200g of mixed leafy greens or one large beetroot — is enough to meaningfully support NO levels (Lundberg et al., 2008).
That said, there are situations where food alone may not be enough:
- Age-related decline: Nitric oxide production drops naturally as you get older. Adults over 40 may benefit from more concentrated sources of dietary nitrate and NO precursors.
- Inconsistent diet: If you don't eat several servings of vegetables daily (and most people don't — only about 1 in 10 American adults meets the recommended intake), you may have gaps.
- Higher demands: Athletes and people with physically demanding lifestyles use nitric oxide at a faster rate and may benefit from additional support.
- Oral microbiome disruption: Antiseptic mouthwash kills the oral bacteria that convert nitrate to nitrite — the critical first step of the nitrate-NO pathway. If you use mouthwash regularly, your nitrate conversion may be impaired even with a healthy diet.
In these cases, a concentrated beetroot supplement can help fill the gap. Zenith Formulas Beetroot Gummies, for example, combine beetroot extract with L-citrulline, L-arginine, and grape seed extract to support nitric oxide production through multiple pathways — complementing what you're already getting from food.
But the foundation should always be your diet. Supplements work best as exactly what the name implies: a supplement to a solid nutritional base, not a replacement for it.
Do Cooking Methods Affect Nitrate Content in Food?
Yes, how you prepare your food matters for nitric oxide support.
- Boiling reduces nitrate content the most — up to 50% of nitrates can leach into the cooking water. If you boil beetroot or spinach, consider using the cooking liquid in soups or sauces.
- Steaming retains most of the nitrate content and is generally the best cooking method for preserving NO-boosting compounds.
- Raw consumption preserves the most nitrates, but isn't always practical or palatable for every food on this list.
- Roasting and baking cause moderate nitrate loss but concentrate flavors, which can make it easier to eat larger portions of vegetables like beets.
The best approach: eat a mix of raw and lightly cooked vegetables. Don't stress about preserving every milligram — consistency and variety matter more than perfection.
Does the Timing of Eating These Foods Matter?
For general cardiovascular and circulation support, timing isn't critical. Eating nitrate-rich foods at any point during the day will contribute to your body's overall NO availability.
For exercise performance, however, research suggests that consuming nitrate-rich foods or beetroot juice 2-3 hours before exercise may be most effective, as this aligns with peak nitrite levels in your blood (Bailey et al., 2009).
One timing factor that does matter: avoid using antiseptic mouthwash within a few hours of eating nitrate-rich foods. The oral bacteria on your tongue are essential for converting dietary nitrate into nitrite. Killing those bacteria with mouthwash short-circuits the entire pathway.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the single best food for nitric oxide?
Beetroot is the most researched and well-rounded option. While arugula has more nitrate per gram, beetroot's combination of nitrates, betalains, and polyphenols makes it the most effective single food for supporting NO production. It's also the only food with a large body of clinical studies specifically examining its effect on nitric oxide levels.
How much nitrate-rich food do I need to eat per day?
Research suggests roughly 300-400 mg of dietary nitrate per day may meaningfully support NO levels. That's approximately one large beetroot, a large bowl of arugula or spinach salad, or two stalks of celery combined with a cup of leafy greens. Mixing multiple sources throughout the day is the easiest approach.
Can nitrate-rich foods replace nitric oxide supplements?
For most healthy adults with a diet rich in vegetables, fruits, and nuts — yes. The foods on this list provide the same raw materials (nitrates, L-arginine, polyphenols) that most NO supplements contain. Supplements become more useful when diet is inconsistent, when NO production has declined due to age, or when higher levels are needed for athletic performance.
Are dietary nitrates the same as the nitrates in processed meat?
The nitrates themselves are chemically identical, but the context is very different. In vegetables, nitrates come packaged with vitamin C and polyphenols that promote their conversion to beneficial nitric oxide. In processed meats, nitrates can form nitrosamines during high-heat cooking — compounds associated with health concerns. Vegetable-sourced nitrates are not associated with these risks.
Does beetroot juice work better than whole beets?
Beetroot juice delivers a more concentrated dose of nitrate in a smaller volume, which is why most clinical studies use juice rather than whole beets. However, whole beets provide fiber and additional nutrients that juice lacks. Both are effective — juice offers convenience and concentration, whole beets offer a more complete nutritional package.
Can I eat too many nitrate-rich foods?
For most healthy adults, it's extremely difficult to eat too many nitrate-rich vegetables. Your body has efficient mechanisms for processing dietary nitrate, and population studies consistently associate higher vegetable nitrate intake with better cardiovascular outcomes. That said, individuals on certain medications (such as nitrate-based heart medications) should consult their doctor, as dietary nitrate could add to the medication's effects.
Why do some people use mouthwash and still see benefits from beetroot?
Not all mouthwashes are equally disruptive. Antiseptic mouthwashes containing chlorhexidine have the strongest effect on nitrate-converting oral bacteria. Non-antibacterial mouthwashes and simple salt water rinses are less likely to interfere. If NO support is important to you, consider switching to a non-antibacterial mouthwash or simply rinsing with water.
What other lifestyle factors support nitric oxide production?
Beyond diet, regular aerobic exercise is the most powerful natural NO booster — it stimulates the eNOS enzyme to produce more nitric oxide. Adequate sleep, managing stress, getting enough sunlight (UV exposure triggers NO release from skin stores), and maintaining healthy vitamin D levels also support NO production. Smoking is one of the most significant NO destroyers, as it damages the endothelium and impairs eNOS function.
The Bottom Line
You don't need a complicated protocol to support nitric oxide production. A diet that includes leafy greens, beetroot, citrus fruits, pomegranate, nuts, and dark chocolate provides your body with the nitrates, L-arginine, and polyphenols it needs to maintain healthy NO levels.
The most practical approach: build a daily habit around 2-3 of these foods. An arugula salad at lunch, a handful of walnuts as a snack, and some roasted beets at dinner would cover all three NO-supporting pathways — nitrate conversion, L-arginine production, and antioxidant protection.
Your body has been making nitric oxide your entire life. Your job is to keep giving it the raw materials to keep doing so.
Sources
- Lundberg, J.O., Weitzberg, E., & Gladwin, M.T. (2008). The nitrate-nitrite-nitric oxide pathway in physiology and therapeutics. Nature Reviews Drug Discovery, 7(2), 156-167. PubMed
- Hord, N.G., Tang, Y., & Bryan, N.S. (2009). Food sources of nitrates and nitrites: the physiologic context for potential health benefits. The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 90(1), 1-10. PubMed
- Siervo, M., Lara, J., Ogbonmwan, I., & Mathers, J.C. (2013). Inorganic nitrate and beetroot juice supplementation reduces blood pressure in adults: a systematic review and meta-analysis. The Journal of Nutrition, 143(6), 818-826. PubMed
- Ignarro, L.J., Byrns, R.E., Sumi, D., de Nigris, F., & Napoli, C. (2006). Pomegranate juice protects nitric oxide against oxidative destruction and enhances the biological actions of nitric oxide. Nitric Oxide: Biology and Chemistry, 15(2), 93-102. PubMed
- Bailey, S.J., Winyard, P., Vanhatalo, A., et al. (2009). Dietary nitrate supplementation reduces the O2 cost of low-intensity exercise and enhances tolerance to high-intensity exercise in humans. Journal of Applied Physiology, 107(4), 1144-1155. PubMed
- European Food Safety Authority (EFSA). (2008). Nitrate in vegetables: scientific opinion of the panel on contaminants in the food chain. EFSA Journal, 689, 1-79.
*These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. Consult your doctor before starting any supplement regimen.