Can drinking beet juice cause your blood pressure?
A new study suggests that beet juice can help aged adults to reduce their blood pressure by rebuilding bacteria in the mouth.
A new study found that beet juice, which is naturally rich in nitrates, can help old adults to reduce their blood pressure by changing bacteria in their mouths.
Surprisingly, researchers also discovered that using an antiseptic mouthwash regularly can interfere with some of these benefits.
Why the mouth matters to the heart
When we eat beetroot-rich foods such as beetroot, spinach, or lettuce, bacteria in our mouth convert those nitrates into nitric oxides-a compound that helps blood vessels to relax and improve blood flow.
This study published in free radical biology and therapy suggests that our oral microbiom (community of bacteria in our mouth) can affect how well nitrate-rich diets benefit our heart.
The test consisted of 39 young adults (18–30 years) and 36 old adults (67–79 years). The participants passed through three different two-week stages:
- Drinking nitrate-rich beet juice.
- Drinking a placebo beet juice (almost no nitrate).
- Using antiseptic mouthwash twice a day.
Each stage was separated from a two -week brake. Researchers collected the tongue swab, measured blood pressure, and assessed the blood vessel function before and after each stage.
Major conclusions of studies
Big adults benefited the most from beet juice: Two weeks after drinking nitrate-rich beetroot juice, his blood pressure fell around 7 mmHg. It is considered clinically important and can reduce the risk of heart attack and stroke.
Small adults saw a little change: Since his blood pressure was already in a healthy range, beet juice did not make a big difference.
Oral bacteria played a big role: In chronic adults, beet juice reduced some types of bacteria (eg prevotela), which are associated with inflammation and poor health, while promoting bacteria that help in producing nitric oxide.
Mouthwash can reduce benefits: In small adults, regular antiseptic mouthwash reduced the variety of oral bacteria and made their blood vessels less responsible when they were drinking beet juice. Although the mouthwash did not change the level of blood nitrate significantly, it appeared to interfere with the bacteria that helps maintain heart health.
What does it mean to you
For the elderly, adding nitrate -rich foods in the diet can be a simple, inexpensive way to improve blood pressure and heart health.
For young adults, the benefits are less pronounced, but avoiding excessive use of strong antiseptic mouthwash can help maintain a healthy oral microbiom even in a long time.
The study also indicates that in the future, probiotics or prebiotics for the mouth can be developed to support heart health.
Conclusions show how close the mouth health is from the rest of our body. As researchers note, disrupt bacteria in the mouth – whether through a poor diet or through excessive use of antiseptic mouthwash – can affect not only oral health but also heart and vascular health.