Changes in oral bacteria may help older adults get more heart health benefits from nitrate-rich foods.
Beetroot juice lowers blood pressure in people aged 60 and older but has no effect on younger people, a recent study found.
Beetroot juice is rich in nitrates, which can be converted into nitric oxide, a compound that helps reduce blood pressure and improve heart function. Researchers found that older people have a specific mix of bacteria in their mouths that can help convert more nitrate into nitric oxide.
The difference comes down to how aging changes the mix of bacteria in our mouths—a shift that determines whether dietary nitrates can be converted into nitric oxide, a compound that can improve circulation, heart function, and exercise performance.
“This research is a great example of how bioscience can help us better understand the complex links between diet, the microbiome and healthy ageing,” Lee Beniston, associate director for industry partnerships and collaborative research and development at the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council, which funded the study, said in a statement.
More Beneficial Bacteria in Older Adults
The study, recently published in Free Radical Biology and Medicine, compared how younger and older adults responded to drinking beetroot juice over two weeks.
Researchers from the University of Exeter recruited 75 adults—39 people younger than 30 and 36 people in their 60s and 70s—for a controlled trial comparing beetroot juice effects across age groups.
Both age groups showed changes in mouth bacteria after drinking the beetroot juice. Blood pressure in the older group was higher at the start and dropped after participants drank the nitrate-rich juice, while the younger group—already in the normal range—showed no change.
In both groups, harmful bacteria called Prevotella decreased, while Rothia-Streptococcus, a bacterium known to support heart health, and Neisseria, a bacterium known to support brain health, increased. An imbalance between good and harmful bacteria in the mouth can reduce the conversion of nitrate into nitric oxide, which is essential for healthy blood vessels and blood pressure regulation.
Of note, those in the older group showed a greater abundance of beneficial bacteria after beetroot supplementation, along with higher nitrate levels in their blood.
Researchers also tested the effects of using antiseptic mouthwash on the oral microbiome and how it would affect blood pressure. Young adults who rinsed their mouths with antiseptic mouthwash twice daily had reduced bacterial diversity. Their blood vessels were also less responsive to beetroot juice supplementation.
This study reaffirms what many in the dental field have observed for years.
“Oral health plays a critical role in systemic wellness, especially in aging populations,” Dr. Sandip Sachar, dentist and owner of Sachar Dental in New York City who was not involved in the study, told The Epoch Times.
Sachar noted that routine dental care and consistent oral hygiene practices also play a significant role in shaping the composition of the oral microbiome, including the presence of nitrate-reducing bacteria.
Good oral hygiene is key to maintaining a healthy balance of bacteria in the mouth, where diverse microorganisms—including beneficial ones—reside. Brushing and flossing help prevent the overgrowth of harmful bacteria that can lead to tooth decay and gum disease, while also promoting the growth of beneficial bacteria that contribute to overall oral health.
“Encouraging older adults to consume more nitrate-rich vegetables could have significant long term health benefits,” study author Anni Vanhatalo, professor at the University of Exeter who holds a doctorate in exercise physiology, said in a statement.
A Food-First Approach to Health
Nitrates are important for vascular health because they improve blood flow by helping blood vessels relax, causing blood pressure to decrease, Stephanie Schiff, a registered dietitian nutritionist at Northwell Health’s Huntington Hospital who was not involved in the study, told The Epoch Times.
She noted that leafy greens such as spinach, romaine lettuce, fennel, arugula, radishes, and parsley are also rich sources of nitrates.
How you cook vegetables can make a big difference in how much nitrate they retain.
Boiling causes the largest loss of nitrates, as the nitrates are leached out into the cooking water, Schiff said.
“Exposure to high heat over a prolonged period of time can [also] cause nitrates to degrade,” she noted, adding that steaming, microwaving, and roasting are cooking methods that allow food to retain a good amount of nitrates. Schiff emphasized that eating nitrate-rich vegetables raw is a good way to get the highest amount of nitrates.
People living with diabetes should be careful if they drink beetroot juice, as it may increase blood sugar.
“Whole beetroot has fiber and may not increase your blood sugar as much,” Schiff said. She recommended blood sugar monitoring for those with diabetes or prediabetes trying beetroot products.
Study co-author Andrew Jones, professor of applied physiology at the University of Exeter, said, “The study paves the way for larger studies to explore the influence of lifestyle factors and biological sex in how people respond to dietary nitrate supplementation.”
Adam Gilbert, a certified nutrition coach and founder of MyBodyTutor, a personal fitness and coaching service not involved in the study, told The Epoch Times that findings such as these are why he believes in a “food-first” approach to health.
“Medications manage symptoms,” Gilbert said. “But food addresses causes.”
When we eat nitrate-rich vegetables regularly, we’re not just managing blood pressure—we’re supporting overall circulation and heart health naturally, he noted.
“I’ve seen clients reduce their need for blood pressure meds by consistently eating more vegetables and staying active,” Gilbert said, emphasizing that food “comes with benefits, not side effects.”
Important Notice: This article was originally published at www.theepochtimes.com by George Citroner where all credits are due.
Disclaimer
The watching, interacting, and participation of any kind with anything on this page does not constitute or initiate a doctor-patient relationship with Veripeudic.com. None of the statements here have been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The products of Veripeudic.com are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. The information being provided should only be considered for education and entertainment purposes only. If you feel that anything you see or hear may be of value to you on this page or on any other medium of any kind associated with, showing, or quoting anything relating to Veripeudic.com in any way at any time, you are encouraged to and agree to consult with a licensed healthcare professional in your area to discuss it. If you feel that you’re having a healthcare emergency, seek medical attention immediately. The views expressed here are simply either the views and opinions of Veripeudic.com or others appearing and are protected under the first amendment.
Veripeudic.com promotes evidence-based natural approaches to health, which means integrating her individual scientific and clinical expertise with the best available external clinical evidence from systematic research. By individual clinical expertise, I refer to the proficiency and judgment that individual clinicians acquire through clinical experience and clinical practice.
Veripeudic.com does not make any representation or warranties with respect to the accuracy, applicability, fitness, or completeness of any multimedia content provided. Veripeudic.com does not warrant the performance, effectiveness, or applicability of any sites listed, linked, or referenced to, in, or by any multimedia content.
To be clear, the multimedia content is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health providers with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read or seen in any website, video, image, or media of any kind. Veripeudic.com hereby disclaims any and all liability to any party for any direct, indirect, implied, punitive, special, incidental, or other consequential damages arising directly or indirectly from any use of the content, which is provided as is, and without warranties.
