# Nitrate-rich foods and cognitive function **URL:** \ **Category:** Neuroscience, Psychology, and Health\ **Tags:** exercise, nutrition\ **Created:** [January 30, 2023, 1:03am UTC](https://forum.artofmemory.com/t/nitrate-rich-foods-and-cognitive-function/80286 "2023-01-30T01:03:05Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Josh](https://forum.artofmemory.com/user_avatar/forum.artofmemory.com/josh/32/21_2.png) [@Josh](https://forum.artofmemory.com/u/Josh)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2023, 1:03am UTC](https://forum.artofmemory.com/t/nitrate-rich-foods-and-cognitive-function/80286/1 "2023-01-30T01:03:06Z")
This video and article are interesting. I’m careful about eating too much beet juice, because I know someone who overdid it and got kidney stones, but I’m going to try adding more arugula and other nitrate-boosting foods to my diet. ### Cocoa and nitrite-rich vegetables, such as green leafies and beets, are put to the test for cognitive function. [![](https://forum.artofmemory.com/uploads/default/original/3X/9/4/946639cbf1d89f79e53191d31f7ec66da04b8bf4.jpeg "Best Brain Foods: Greens and Beets Put to the Test") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4ZnZkpAufXU) > As you can see at 1:42 in my [**video**](https://nutritionfacts.org/video/best-brain-foods-greens-and-beets-put-to-the-test/), researchers [found](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26037632) significantly improved performance in terms of more correct answers on the sustained subtraction task. “These results suggest that a single dose of dietary nitrate”—for example, nitrate-rich vegetables—“can modify brain function, and that this is likely to be as a result of increased NO [nitric-oxide] synthesis,” but how do we know it’s the nitrate? [https://nutritionfacts.org/2023/01/24/testing-greens-and-beets-two-of-the-best-brain-foods/](https://nutritionfacts.org/2023/01/24/testing-greens-and-beets-two-of-the-best-brain-foods/) Related: [Beet Juice for Athletic Performance](https://forum.artofmemory.com/t/beet-juice-for-athletic-performance/33173) More info on nitrates: - [https://marathonhandbook.com/foods-high-in-nitrates/](https://marathonhandbook.com/foods-high-in-nitrates/) - [The 10 Best Foods to Boost Nitric Oxide Levels](https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/nitric-oxide-foods) ---
**Author:** ![cabinmoose](https://forum.artofmemory.com/user_avatar/forum.artofmemory.com/cabinmoose/32/5525_2.png) [@cabinmoose](https://forum.artofmemory.com/u/cabinmoose)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2023, 3:37am UTC](https://forum.artofmemory.com/t/nitrate-rich-foods-and-cognitive-function/80286/2 "2023-01-30T03:37:57Z")
Nitrate is converted to nitric oxide by bacteria on the tongue, I believe, and so it’s a good idea to avoid strong alcohol-based mouth wash to maximize NO. ---
**Author:** ![YetiWill](https://forum.artofmemory.com/user_avatar/forum.artofmemory.com/yetiwill/32/21883_2.png) [@YetiWill](https://forum.artofmemory.com/u/YetiWill)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2023, 3:42pm UTC](https://forum.artofmemory.com/t/nitrate-rich-foods-and-cognitive-function/80286/3 "2023-01-30T15:42:19Z")
Alcohol mouthwashes are bad for your gut flora and should be avoided. Same for antibiotics. ---
**Author:** ![Bigdonnyv](https://forum.artofmemory.com/user_avatar/forum.artofmemory.com/bigdonnyv/32/15039_2.png) [@Bigdonnyv](https://forum.artofmemory.com/u/Bigdonnyv)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2023, 11:08pm UTC](https://forum.artofmemory.com/t/nitrate-rich-foods-and-cognitive-function/80286/4 "2023-01-30T23:08:46Z")
Interesting. Im going to eat healthier now, not for overall health but to beat an 18 year old from India in memory sports. ---
**Author:** ![Josh](https://forum.artofmemory.com/user_avatar/forum.artofmemory.com/josh/32/21_2.png) [@Josh](https://forum.artofmemory.com/u/Josh)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2023, 12:52am UTC](https://forum.artofmemory.com/t/nitrate-rich-foods-and-cognitive-function/80286/5 "2023-01-31T00:52:00Z")
> [@cabinmoose](#): > > alcohol-based mouth wash to maximize NO. It looks like there is also a possible [cancer risk](https://www.nature.com/articles/sj.bdj.2009.1014). ---
**Author:** ![symbolon](https://forum.artofmemory.com/user_avatar/forum.artofmemory.com/symbolon/32/17157_2.png) [@symbolon](https://forum.artofmemory.com/u/symbolon)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2023, 10:09am UTC](https://forum.artofmemory.com/t/nitrate-rich-foods-and-cognitive-function/80286/6 "2023-02-01T10:09:38Z")
I don’t believe in vegetables ---
**Author:** ![YetiWill](https://forum.artofmemory.com/user_avatar/forum.artofmemory.com/yetiwill/32/21883_2.png) [@YetiWill](https://forum.artofmemory.com/u/YetiWill)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2023, 2:49pm UTC](https://forum.artofmemory.com/t/nitrate-rich-foods-and-cognitive-function/80286/7 "2023-02-01T14:49:18Z")
Vegetables are not for everybody. Ask your doctor if vegetables are right for you. ---
**Author:** ![Josh](https://forum.artofmemory.com/user_avatar/forum.artofmemory.com/josh/32/21_2.png) [@Josh](https://forum.artofmemory.com/u/Josh)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2023, 7:03pm UTC](https://forum.artofmemory.com/t/nitrate-rich-foods-and-cognitive-function/80286/8 "2023-02-02T19:03:23Z")
> [@YetiWill](#): > > antibiotics I take antibiotics when a doctor thinks I really need them, but they tend to be overused. I just saw this article: > In developing countries, most antibiotic prescriptions are not only pointless — **an estimated 70% to 80% of them are given for viral infections, which the medications don’t treat** — they’re also harmful, as overuse of antibiotics accelerates antibiotic resistance. > > A similar problem exists in the **United States, where an estimated 30% to 50% of antibiotic prescriptions are given for viral infections**. > **[New blood test to identify infections could reduce global antibiotic overuse](https://med.stanford.edu/news/all-news/2022/12/antibiotics-test-bacteria-virus.html)** > > A diagnostic test developed by Stanford Medicine scientists can separate bacterial and viral infections with 90% accuracy, the first to meet standards set by the World Health Organization. Also related: - [Antibiotics, Gut Bacteria, and Brain Cell Growth](https://forum.artofmemory.com/t/antibiotics-gut-bacteria-and-brain-cell-growth/31707) - [Antibiotics and Memory](https://forum.artofmemory.com/t/antibiotics-and-memory/33121) ---
**Author:** ![YetiWill](https://forum.artofmemory.com/user_avatar/forum.artofmemory.com/yetiwill/32/21883_2.png) [@YetiWill](https://forum.artofmemory.com/u/YetiWill)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2023, 7:37pm UTC](https://forum.artofmemory.com/t/nitrate-rich-foods-and-cognitive-function/80286/9 "2023-02-02T19:37:27Z")
That’s so sad, Josh. My younger brother struggled with his weight resulting in him needing a knee replacement. Every six months his dentist would give him an antibiotic “just to be safe” to prevent any infection from dental work migrating to his knee. My heart sank. The constant antibiotics were causing my brother to be obese. _They give antibiotics to pigs and cows to fatten them up._ My brother ended up gaining more weight — and needing a second knee replacement. Health is a delicate subject to discuss especially when it’s about weight.