**Boise Beets: City Water Blocking Nitric Oxide?**
By Franklin Everett ShawForget the latest superfood craze. Let’s talk about something far more fundamental, something that impacts your health every single day, especially if you live in Boise, Idaho: your tap water and how it interacts with the humble beet.
Beets, those earthy root vegetables, are nutritional powerhouses, primarily because they’re packed with nitrates. These nitrates, when converted to nitric oxide in your body, can improve blood flow, lower blood pressure, and even boost athletic performance. But what if something was interfering with this natural process? What if the very water you use to prepare your beets, or even just drink, was hindering their nitric oxide-boosting potential?
Boise, nestled in the Treasure Valley, relies heavily on both surface water and groundwater for its municipal water supply. This water undergoes treatment to ensure it’s safe to drink, but the treatment process itself can introduce chemicals that might impact the bioavailability of nitrates from beets.
Chlorine and chloramine, common disinfectants used in water treatment, are known to react with organic matter, potentially forming disinfection byproducts (DBPs). Some DBPs, like trihalomethanes (THMs), have been linked to various health concerns. More importantly for our beet-loving purposes, these chemicals can disrupt the gut microbiome, which plays a crucial role in converting nitrates to nitrites, the precursor to nitric oxide.
The Boise WaterShed Environmental Education Center publishes annual water quality reports. These reports are your first line of defense. Download the latest report and look for the levels of chlorine, chloramine, and THMs. High levels of these chemicals could indicate a greater potential for interference with nitric oxide production.
Let’s say the report shows elevated levels of chloramine. What can you do? Here’s a step-by-step guide to mitigating the impact:
Invest in a high-quality water filter: Not all water filters are created equal. Look for a filter certified to remove chloramine, chlorine, and THMs. Activated carbon filters are a good starting point, but catalytic carbon filters are specifically designed for chloramine removal. Brands like Brita and PUR offer pitchers and faucet filters, but for more comprehensive filtration, consider a whole-house system.
Let your water sit: Chloramine is more stable than chlorine, but allowing water to sit uncovered for 24 hours can still help reduce its concentration. This is a simple, low-cost option, but it’s not a complete solution.
Boil your water: Boiling water for 20 minutes can help remove chlorine and some volatile DBPs. However, boiling won’t remove chloramine and can actually concentrate other contaminants.
Consider bottled water (carefully): If you’re concerned about the quality of your tap water, bottled water might seem like a good alternative. However, not all bottled water is created equal. Some bottled water is simply tap water that has been filtered. Look for brands that use reverse osmosis or distillation to purify their water. Also, be mindful of the environmental impact of plastic bottles.
Optimize your beet consumption: Don’t just rely on beets alone. Consume other nitrate-rich foods like spinach, arugula, and celery. These vegetables offer a variety of nutrients and can help ensure you’re getting enough nitrates even if your water is slightly interfering with the process.
Support your gut microbiome: A healthy gut microbiome is essential for converting nitrates to nitrites. Consume probiotic-rich foods like yogurt, kefir, and sauerkraut. Consider taking a probiotic supplement, especially if you’ve been exposed to antibiotics or other medications that can disrupt your gut flora.
Time your beet consumption: Consume beets a few hours before you need the nitric oxide boost. This allows your body time to convert the nitrates to nitrites and then to nitric oxide.
But how do you know if your water is actually affecting your nitric oxide levels? Here’s a DIY test you can perform:
DIY Boise Tap Water Nitric Oxide Interference Test
This test isn’t scientifically rigorous, but it can give you a general idea of whether your tap water is interfering with nitric oxide production.
Materials:
- Beet juice (freshly juiced or store-bought, but ensure it’s pure beet juice with no additives)
- Your Boise tap water
- Distilled water (as a control)
- A saliva test strip for measuring nitrite levels (available online or at some pharmacies)
- Three clean glasses
Procedure:
Prepare three solutions:
- Glass 1: Mix equal parts beet juice and distilled water. This is your control.
- Glass 2: Mix equal parts beet juice and your Boise tap water.
- Glass 3: Mix equal parts beet juice and your Boise tap water that has been filtered using your chosen method (e.g., a Brita filter).
Let the solutions sit: Allow all three solutions to sit at room temperature for 30 minutes. This allows the nitrates in the beet juice to potentially convert to nitrites.
Test your saliva: Before consuming any of the solutions, use a saliva test strip to measure your baseline nitrite level.
Consume the solutions: Drink the entire contents of Glass 1 (beet juice and distilled water). Wait 30 minutes. Then, test your saliva again using a fresh test strip. Record the nitrite level.
Repeat for Glass 2 and Glass 3: Wait at least one hour between consuming each solution to allow your body to process the nitrates. Repeat the saliva test 30 minutes after consuming each solution.
Interpreting the Results:
- If your nitrite level increases significantly after consuming the beet juice and distilled water (Glass 1), it indicates that your body is effectively converting nitrates to nitrites. This is your baseline for comparison.
- If your nitrite level increases less after consuming the beet juice and Boise tap water (Glass 2) compared to Glass 1, it suggests that something in your tap water is interfering with the conversion process.
- If your nitrite level increases more after consuming the beet juice and filtered Boise tap water (Glass 3) compared to Glass 2, it suggests that your water filter is effectively removing the interfering substance.
Important Considerations:
- This test is not a substitute for professional medical advice.
- Individual results may vary.
- The accuracy of the test depends on the quality of the beet juice and the sensitivity of the saliva test strips.
Beyond water quality, consider the source of your beets. Locally grown beets from farmers’ markets in Boise, like the Capital City Public Market, are often fresher and may contain higher levels of nitrates compared to beets that have been shipped long distances. Talk to the farmers about their growing practices, as the type of fertilizer they use can also affect nitrate levels.
Finally, remember that nitric oxide production is a complex process influenced by various factors, including your overall diet, exercise habits, and genetics. While addressing potential water quality issues is important, it’s just one piece of the puzzle. By taking a holistic approach to your health and being mindful of the potential impact of your environment, you can maximize the benefits of beet consumption and support your overall well-being in Boise, Idaho.