Nitrate Supplementation Could Help Breathing and Lung Clearance in Seniors

A mouse study by University of Florida researchers published in the Journal of Physiology found that nitrate enhances function in the diaphragm, which if reproduced in humans could help older adults clear their lungs more effectively and avoid infection, reports Medical Xpress . This finding is especially significant in the COVID-19 era, as the diaphragm is the primary inspiratory muscle for breathing and coughing. The researchers determined that the contractile function — or power — of the diaphragm improved in aged mice administered sodium nitrate in their drinking water each day for two weeks. Dietary nitrate is readily available for humans and could be used, under appropriate supervision, to improve respiratory muscle dysfunction. However, dietary nitrate appears to be more effective on the contractile function of fast muscle cells, which mice have in greater volume than humans. Therefore, the benefits to the human diaphragm may not be as significant, while the benefits for female mice have not yet been investigated. "Our findings are especially important in light of the current COVID-19 pandemic as they suggest that, if replicated in humans, dietary nitrate is useful to improve respiratory muscle dysfunction that contributes to difficulty in weaning patients from mechanical ventilation," said the University of Florida's Leonardo Ferreira.