Nitroglycerin Interactions

Both nitroglycerin and alcohol widen blood vessels, so taking them together can lower blood pressure more than either does alone. This additive drop can cause dizziness, fainting, or worsened chest pain, and it is most pronounced with fast-acting sublingual tablets or spray. The combination has been recognized since an early case report in the New England Journal of Medicine in 1965.

Nitroglycerin works by releasing nitric oxide to widen blood vessels and relieve angina. Beetroot is a concentrated dietary source of inorganic nitrate, which the body also converts to nitric oxide. Combining concentrated beetroot products with nitroglycerin is mechanistically likely to add to nitroglycerin's blood-pressure-lowering and dizziness, although no clinical cases of this specific pairing have been documented. Whole-food beet portions are not a meaningful concern.