A new study from the University of Exeter reveals that drinking beetroot juice can lower blood pressure in older adults by altering their oral microbiome, offering a natural way to improve cardiovascular health.
Drinking nitrate-rich beetroot juice could significantly reduce blood pressure in older adults, thanks to specific changes in their oral microbiome, according to a new study from the University of Exeter.
Published in the journal Free Radical Biology and Medicine, the research compares the responses of older and younger adults to beetroot juice consumption. The study highlights that while a high-nitrate diet is known to lower blood pressure and reduce heart disease risk, the underlying mechanisms in different age groups have been less understood — until now.
The University of Exeter study, funded by a BBSRC Industrial Partnership Award, discovered that older individuals who consumed concentrated beetroot juice “shots” twice daily for two weeks experienced a notable drop in blood pressure. This effect was absent in the younger group.
The trial involved 39 adults under 30 and 36 adults aged 60-70. Participants underwent a two-week regimen of nitrate-rich beetroot juice followed by a nitrate-free placebo juice, with a two-week washout period in between.
The researchers employed bacterial gene sequencing to analyze oral bacteria before and after the trial. Changes in the oral microbiome were observed in both age groups but were distinct in older adults. The older participants had a significant decrease in the harmful bacteria Prevotella and an increase in beneficial bacteria like Neisseria.
The older group, who initially had higher average blood pressure, showed marked improvement after consuming the nitrate-rich juice.
“We know that a nitrate-rich diet has health benefits, and older people produce less of their own nitric oxide as they age. They also tend to have higher blood pressure, which can be linked to cardiovascular complications like heart attack and stroke. Encouraging older adults to consume more nitrate-rich vegetables could have significant long-term health benefits,” corresponding author Anni Vanhatalo, a professor of human physiology at the University of Exeter, said in a news release. “The good news is that if you don’t like beetroot, there are many nitrate-rich alternatives like spinach, rocket, fennel, celery and kale.”
The findings suggest that dietary nitrate from vegetables could suppress harmful oral bacteria, enhancing the conversion of nitrate to nitric oxide — essential for healthy blood vessel function and blood pressure regulation.
“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,” added co-author Andy Jones, a professor of applied physiology 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.”
Lee Beniston, an associate director for industry partnerships and collaborative research and development at BBSRC, highlighted the broader implications of the study, adding: “This research is a great example of how bioscience can help us better understand the complex links between diet, the microbiome, and healthy aging. By uncovering how dietary nitrate affects oral bacteria and blood pressure in older adults, the study opens up new opportunities for improving vascular health through nutrition.”
Source: University of Exeter