It is now believed that dietary nitrate in the form of plant-based foods is converted in the body to nitrite. Most nitrite ingestion in the U.S. diet is from conversion of nitrate in plants, not from nitrite intake from cured meats.[1] Nitrite and water are converted to nitric oxide which reduces hypertension. Anti-hypertensive diets, such as the DASH diet, typically elevates nitric oxide levels which is first reduced to nitrite in the saliva, as detected in saliva testing, prior to forming nitric oxide