Drinking specific vegetable juice could reduce older adults' blood pressure, study finds

Beetroot juice, which is rich in nitrates, has been linked to changing the community of bacteria living in the mouth.

Researchers at the University of Exeter compared the response of both younger and older participants to the juice and published the study in Free Radical Biology and Medicine.

Thirty-nine participants under age 30, plus 36 individuals in their 60s and 70s, were split into two separate two-week phases.

Researchers practiced bacterial gene sequencing to identify which microbes were present in the participants' mouths before and after each treatment.

Older adults who drank nitrate-rich beetroot juice had fewer mouth bacteria called Prevotella, which is linked to inflammation, and more helpful bacteria like Neisseria.

"We know that foods that are high in dietary nitrates such as leafy greens, beets and lettuce can help lower blood pressure," said Siegel.

He added, "Nitrates are converted to nitric oxide by your body. Nitric oxide is a key molecule in vascular health as it promotes the vessels to dilate and thus reduces blood pressure."

"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," Beniston added.

Both researchers shared that more research is needed. 

Siegel noted that "as we age, our levels of bioavailable nitric oxide lower, so it makes sense that we see more of a benefit in consuming dietary nitrates in older patients."