Researchers from the University of Exeter in a study published in Free Radical Biology and Medicine compared how older and younger adults responded to nitrate-rich beetroot juice. While previous studies have shown that a high-nitrate diet can help lower blood pressure and reduce heart disease risk this new research offers fresh insight into the role of the oral microbiome.

In the study older adults who consumed concentrated beetroot juice twice daily for two weeks experienced a significant drop in blood pressure an effect not observed in the younger group. The findings suggest that this benefit may be due to a shift in the oral microbiome where harmful bacteria were suppressed allowing for more effective conversion of dietary nitrate into nitric oxide. Nitric oxide supports blood vessel function and is essential for maintaining healthy blood pressure. The research was funded by a BBSRC Industrial Partnership Award.

Professor Anni Vanhatalo of the University of Exeter explained A nitrate-rich diet is known to support cardiovascular health but as people age their ability to produce nitric oxide naturally declines. This combined with higher blood pressure increases the risk of heart attacks and strokes. Encouraging older adults to eat more nitrate-rich vegetables could offer meaningful long-term health benefits. And for those who aren’t fond of beetroot there are plenty of alternatives like spinach, rocket, fennel, celery, and kale.

The study involved 39 participants under 30 and 36 older adults in their 60s and 70s, recruited through the NIHR Exeter Clinical Research Facility and supported by the Exeter Clinical Trials Unit. Participants consumed either nitrate-rich beetroot juice or a nitrate-free placebo for two weeks with a two-week washout period between each phase. Using bacterial gene sequencing, researchers analyzed participants’ oral microbiomes before and after each condition.

While the oral microbiome changed significantly in both age groups after consuming the nitrate-rich juice, the nature of those changes differed between younger and older participants.

In the older age group researchers observed a significant reduction in levels of Prevotella a type of mouth bacteria after consuming nitrate-rich beetroot juice. At the same time beneficial bacteria such as Neisseria increased. This group also started the study with higher average blood pressure which decreased following the beetroot juice supplementation but not after taking the placebo.

Professor Andy Jones a co-author from the University of Exeter noted Our findings show that nitrate-rich foods can reshape the oral microbiome in ways that may reduce inflammation and lower blood pressure in older adults. This sets the stage for larger studies to examine how lifestyle factors and sex may affect individual responses to dietary nitrate.

Dr. Lee Beniston FRSB Associate Director for Industry Partnerships and Collaborative Research and Development at BBSRC added, This study is a powerful example of how bioscience can deepen our understanding of the relationship between diet the microbiome and healthy ageing. By revealing how dietary nitrate impacts oral bacteria and vascular health in older adults, it offers promising new avenues for improving cardiovascular health through nutrition. BBSRC is proud to support this innovative academic–industry collaboration with real-world health implications.

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