Drinking water with nitrate can impact salivary nitrite levels significantly.
Drinking water with nitrate can increase the amount of nitrite in saliva. The more nitrate consumed, the higher the nitrite levels in saliva, but this varies among individuals. Small amounts of nitrate don't usually cause a significant increase. Some people have stable nitrite levels in saliva, while others have more fluctuations. There is a connection between the rise in nitrite levels after drinking 50 mg of nitrate and the rate at which nitrite levels drop before drinking the nitrate.