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You may have read about the link between beets and heart health — particularly blood pressure.
In fact, several studies have shown that consuming beet juice can lower blood pressure in both healthy individuals and those with high blood pressure.
One reason is that beets are loaded with nitrates. The body converts nitrate into nitric oxide (NO), a signaling molecule that’s vital for the healthy functioning of blood vessels and, in turn, the regulation of blood pressure.
However, new research suggests there may be a caveat to this effect — particularly in younger adults…
The role of the oral microbiome
A study by researchers at the University of Exeter in the U.K. recruited 39 adults under the age of 30, as well as 36 adults in their 60s and 70s. For two weeks, each group took a concentrated “shot” of beet juice twice a day. After a two-week reset period, participants consumed a placebo version of beet juice with the nitrate removed twice daily for two weeks.
The results were surprising. While the older adults saw a noticeable decrease in blood pressure after drinking the nitrate-rich beet juice for two weeks, the younger adults did not. No change was observed in either group after drinking the beet juice with nitrate removed.
“We know that a nitrate-rich diet has health benefits, and older people produce less of their own nitric oxide as they age,” says study author Anni Vanhatalo, a professor at the University of Exeter. “They also tend to have higher blood pressure, which can be linked to cardiovascular complications like heart attack and stroke.”
It’s known that an imbalance between beneficial and harmful oral bacteria can reduce the conversion of nitrate to nitric oxide. This prompted the researchers to use a gene sequencing method to analyze which bacteria were present in the mouth before and after each two-week period.
They made a fascinating discovery…
While there were significant changes in the oral microbiome in both groups after drinking the nitrate-rich beet juice, the changes differed between the younger and older groups.
The older age group showed a notable decrease in the mouth bacteria Prevotella after drinking the unaltered beet juice with nitrate, as well as an increase in the growth of beneficial bacteria such as Neisseria. The younger group showed an increase in some beneficial bacteria, including Neisseria, but not to the same extent as the older group.
In short, the blood pressure-lowering effect of nitrate-rich beet juice in older people may be enhanced due to specific changes in their oral microbiome.
“This study shows that nitrate-rich foods alter the oral microbiome in a way that could result in less inflammation, as well as a lowering of blood pressure in older people,” says co-author Andy Jones, a professor at the University of Exeter. “This paves the way for larger studies to explore the influence of lifestyle factors and biological sex in how people respond to dietary nitrate supplementation.”
Make the most of what beet juice can do
Dr. Lee Beniston of BBSRC says the study “opens up new opportunities for improving vascular health through nutrition.”
“Encouraging older adults to consume more nitrate-rich vegetables could have significant long-term health benefits,” Vanhatalo says. “The good news is that if you don’t like beetroot, there are many nitrate-rich alternatives like spinach, rocket, fennel, celery and kale.”
While it’s true that you can get nitrates from these other vegetables, you would have to eat a significant amount of them to obtain the same benefits as you would from a glass of beet juice.
That’s why most studies on dietary nitrate and heart health have used beet juice, beet supplements, and beet powders, which are popular among athletes.
I’m not a big beet fan, but there are ways to make them more palatable. For instance, if you make your own beet juice with a blender or juicer, you can add celery, cucumber or apple for additional flavor. (Just make sure to peel the rough outer layer before juicing or blending your beets.)
However, it’s important to note that some dental hygiene habits can impact the natural processes that support the conversion of nitrates to nitric oxide.
Researchers at Baylor College of Medicine and the University of Texas found that antiseptic mouthwash, particularly that containing chlorhexidine, interfered with that conversion process and led to a significant increase in systolic blood pressure in a group of 26 study participants.
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Sources:
Beetroot juice lowers blood pressure in older people by changing oral microbiome — University of Exeter
Ageing modifies the oral microbiome, nitric oxide bioavailability and vascular responses to dietary nitrate supplementation — Free Radical Biology and Medicine