According to research, exposure to gas cookers can result in lower blood pressure, as it can partially neutralize the terrible cardiovascular effects of air pollution.
A team from King’s College London reveals that the period next to a gas cooker increased nitrogen dioxide levels in the air 10-fold and subsequently lowered blood pressure by 5 mm Hg from 45 minutes onwards. Also, the blood levels of the substance nitrite increased by 15% after 15 minutes.
The mechanism through which the nitrogen dioxide lowers blood pressure appears to be through linking into the same pathway as dietary nitrate which is found in the green leafy vegetables and beetroot. Both result in an increase in blood nitrite levels.
