NEW DELHI– Drinking beetroot juice may help reduce blood pressure in older adults, according to a new study conducted by researchers at the University of Exeter in the UK.
The study, published in the journal Free Radical Biology and Medicine, suggests that the blood pressure-lowering effect of nitrate-rich beetroot juice in seniors may be linked to beneficial changes in their oral microbiome—the community of bacteria living in the mouth.
Nitrate, a compound naturally found in vegetables, plays a crucial role in cardiovascular health. When older participants consumed concentrated beetroot juice “shots” twice daily for two weeks, researchers observed a measurable drop in their blood pressure. Interestingly, this effect was not seen in younger participants.
“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,” said Professor Andy Jones of 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.”
The trial involved 39 adults under the age of 30 and 36 adults in their 60s and 70s. Participants consumed either nitrate-rich beetroot juice or a placebo juice with the nitrate removed, each for a two-week period.
Researchers found that older adults who consumed the nitrate-rich juice had a significant decrease in Prevotella, a potentially harmful oral bacterium, and an increase in Neisseria, a bacterium associated with positive health outcomes.
An imbalance of oral bacteria can impair the body’s ability to convert dietary nitrate into nitric oxide, a molecule essential for maintaining healthy blood vessels and regulating blood pressure.
“The good news is that if you don’t like beetroot, there are many nitrate-rich alternatives like spinach, rocket, fennel, celery, and kale,” added Professor Anni Vanhatalo, a co-author of the study. (Source: IANS)
