Nitrate improves mitochondrial function

[Denny]

A new study from Karolinska Institutet shows that nitrate, which exists in good quantities in spinach, improves mitochondrial function. In simple terms your muscles performs better by consuming more nitrate. Another study from Karolinska Institutet shows that exercise alters your DNA, in a matter of minutes. Karolinska Institutet is one of the largest medical universities in Europe which makes it a good source, you can read about it on Wikipedia.

Nitrate have had a negative reputation for a long time and with each new study we're learning new positive things about it. Maybe we shouldn't gluttonize in spinach and radishes just yet but it's a good reason to eat more vegetables.

[bigm141414]

Interesting stuff. I'd like to take a gander at the studies themselves when they are available. The whole nitrate issue has been a concern for those of us who eat a lot of cured meats (bacon anyone).

The second study is cool, I've never even heard of the possibility of DNA modification.

[Denny]

I think this pdf is the study. I searched for Dietary inorganic nitrate improves mitochondrial efficiency in humans, Cell Metabolism, 2 February 2011 which is the study mentioned in the first article.

[bigm141414]

I think this pdf is the study. I searched for Dietary inorganic nitrate improves mitochondrial efficiency in humans, Cell Metabolism, 2 February 2011 which is the study mentioned in the first article.

Excellent! Lunch time reading for sure.

[jdanger]

The second study is cool, I've never even heard of the possibility of DNA modification.

That's because it's a misnomer. Exercising doesn't modify your DNA. It changes your phenotype, or the expression of your DNA. The misleading article title is an example of lazy science journalism.

[bigm141414]

That's because it's a misnomer. Exercising doesn't modify your DNA. It changes your phenotype, or the expression of your DNA. The misleading article title is an example of lazy science journalism.

Ah, that makes sense. DNA stays the same what is does changes, correct? My knowledge of biology stops at the high school level.

[Atalan]

Ah, that makes sense. DNA stays the same what is does changes, correct? My knowledge of biology stops at the high school level.

Correct, DNA can and does change (this is how both cancer and mutations develop, for a survey level explanation) within individual cells. However, exercise does not cause the transcription errors that occur when DNA is unpackaged, used to create the RNA for creating a protein, and then repackaged. That's things like oxygen (welcome to why antioxidants help prevent cancer), radiation, or other things that can damage biological molecules.

[Gainsdalf the Whey]

That's because it's a misnomer. Exercising doesn't modify your DNA. It changes your phenotype, or the expression of your DNA. The misleading article title is an example of lazy science journalism.

Yep, changes how it is expressed due to all the different proteins and hormones that are released and how they interact with the DNA. Just learned this after banging out The Paleo Solution last week. You kill it off yet bigm?

[Georges]

That's because it's a misnomer. Exercising doesn't modify your DNA. It changes your phenotype, or the expression of your DNA. The misleading article title is an example of lazy science journalism.

For better journalism, change "modifies DNA" to "affects epigenetics."

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Epigenetics

Interesting about the nitrates - I had no idea. I always thought anyone talking about dangerous nitrates was just mispronouncing/misspelling nitrites and talking about processed meat. Looks like I'll have some reading to do.