Want Lower Blood Pressure? This Juice May Help, Study Finds Out - Video

Drinking nitrate-rich beetroot juice can significantly lower blood pressure in older adults, and the effect may be driven by changes in the oral microbiome, according to new research from the University of Exeter. The study, published in Free Radical Biology and Medicine, is the largest of its kind and sheds light on how diet influences vascular health through oral bacteria.

Nitrate, naturally found in vegetables like beetroot, spinach, and celery, is a essential for producing nitric oxide a compound that supports healthy blood vessels. As people age, their bodies produce less nitric oxide, which contributes to rising blood pressure and increased cardiovascular risk. Previous studies have shown that nitrate-rich diets can reduce blood pressure, but this new study focused on whether the effect is mediated by changes in oral bacteria.

Researchers recruited 75 participants 39 adults under 30 and 36 adults aged 60 to 70 through the NIHR Exeter Clinical Research Facility. Each participant drank a concentrated beetroot juice "shot" twice daily for two weeks, followed by a two-week washout period. They also consumed a placebo version of the juice, with the nitrate removed, for two weeks. The team used bacterial gene sequencing to analyze the oral microbiome before and after each treatment period.

In both age groups, the composition of oral bacteria changed significantly after consuming nitrate-rich juice, but the changes were more beneficial in older adults. In this group, levels of harmful bacteria such as Prevotella decreased, while beneficial bacteria like Neisseria increased. Importantly, the older participants who had higher average blood pressure at the start saw a notable reduction in blood pressure after consuming the nitrate-rich juice, but not after the placebo.

Co-author Professor Andy Jones, of the University of Exeter, said: “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. 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.”

These findings open new possibilities for managing blood pressure and promoting healthy ageing through diet.

Reference: https://news.exeter.ac.uk/faculty-of-health-and-life-sciences/beetroot-juice-lowers-blood-pressure-in-older-people-by-changing-oral-microbiome/