The fate of nitrates and nitrites in the organism

The nitrate balance was investigated in infants and adults. While in infants the amount of nitrate excreted in the urine was roughly 100% of the amount ingested, the amount in adults was only 30-35%. The nitrate concentration in the saliva of both groups was approximately the same. Observations of the reducing activity of faeces of pigs revealed that the rate of nitrate reduction became faster when the nitrate intake was increased. The amount of nitrates excreted depends on the amount reduced to nitrites in the organism.