- A new study suggests that beet juice may help lower blood pressure by altering your oral microbiome.
- Beets are rich in nitrates, known to influence blood pressure.
- Other foods high in nitrates include spinach, celery, fennel and kale.
High blood pressure, also known as hypertension, is fairly common, and almost half of all adults in the U.S. have the condition. High blood pressure is defined as having a systolic blood pressure (the top number in a blood pressure reading) greater than 130 mm Hg or a diastolic blood pressure (the lower number in a blood pressure reading) greater than 80 mm Hg.
But just because hypertension is common doesn’t mean it’s benign. Having high blood pressure, especially when it’s not controlled, places you at a higher risk of heart disease and stroke, both leading causes of death in the U.S. and globally.
With hypertension being so common, researchers have been looking for practical ways to help people lower their blood pressure for years now, and that includes dietary methods. Some of that research has led to beets, which contain nitrates that may help lower blood pressure. While there is mounting evidence of beets’ connection to healthier blood pressure, researchers are always digging deeper into the how and why of it.
Case in point: Researchers from the University of Exeter in the UK wanted to know if beet juice altered the oral microbiome, and if so, whether those changes have anything to do with changes in blood pressure. They published their findings in the journal Free Radical Biology and Medicine. Let’s break down what they found.
How Was This Study Conducted?
Researchers recruited two groups of participants. An older group, consisting of 36 older adults, ages 65 to 80, and a younger group of 42 young adults, ages 18 to 30. All participants were considered healthy at baseline with normal blood pressure levels, though the older group’s blood pressures averaged higher than the younger group’s.
There were three two-week interventions for this study. Before and after each intervention, participants went to the lab to have their mouths swabbed so researchers could look at their oral microbiomes—the good and bad bacteria that live in our mouths. They also had bloodwork and blood pressure measurements taken. Between each intervention was a two-week “washout” period to allow the oral microbiome to return to each participant’s “normal.”
For the first intervention, participants were instructed to drink two concentrated beet juice “shots” a day, one in the morning, one in the evening, for two weeks. Each shot was 70 ml of beet juice, which is about equal to just under ⅓ cup. For the second intervention, they did the same thing, but with a placebo beet juice that had been stripped of its natural nitrates—though participants were not aware of this. The third intervention involved participants swishing with an antiseptic mouthwash twice a day.
What Did This Study Find?
Researchers found that the beet juice with nitrates changed the oral microbiomes in both groups for the better, reducing harmful bacteria and increasing beneficial bacteria. But the changes in specific bacteria differed between groups.
The older group experienced a reduction in potentially harmful bacteria called Prevotella after drinking the nitrate-rich juice, and an increase in the growth of bacteria known to benefit health; these changes were more pronounced in the older compared to the younger group, and did not occur with the placebo juice.
The older adults in this study had an average blood pressure of 126/80 at baseline, which was higher than the younger group’s average baseline blood pressure, but the older group’s baseline nitrite blood concentrations did not differ from the younger group’s. Yet, while the younger group saw no significant changes in blood pressure or in blood nitrite concentration throughout the study, the older group saw an average reduction in systolic blood pressure of 7 mm Hg, plus an increase in blood nitrite concentration. This amount of reduction in systolic blood pressure is clinically significant, which means that the benefits may extend to reducing other risks, including heart disease and stroke.
As with any study, there is a risk of researcher error and participant bias with reporting adherence, though these participants reported 100% adherence to the study protocol. This study was also funded by the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC) Industrial Partnership Awards, which supports collaboration between academic research groups and industries. In this case, the collaboration might have been between the researchers and the company providing the beet juice. While this has the potential for introducing bias into the study and its results, this study does support previous research on beets and blood pressure.
How Does This Apply to Real Life?
If you’re one of the 120 million U.S. adults with high blood pressure—or if you want to prevent the condition—there are several things you can do. Including beets and beet juice in your day might help. And of course, we have lots of amazing beet recipes, including our Beet Salad, Ginger-Beet Juice and Balsamic-Rosemary Melting Beets.
If you’re not a fan of beets, other foods high in nitrates include spinach, kale, fennel and celery. And we’ve got lots of tasty recipes that include these plants, too—like our Wild Rice, Shrimp and Fennel Soup or our Spring Green Soup with Chicken, which has both celery and spinach.
Here’s the thing: We don’t typically eat foods in isolation, and your whole eating pattern matters more than singling out one food. That’s why these study authors mention the Mediterranean diet, because it’s loaded with foods that naturally contain nitrates and a wealth of other essential nutrients. To get you started, we have several Mediterranean diet plans to choose from, including ones that support healthy blood pressure. Start with our 7-Day High-Protein Mediterranean Diet Meal Plan for High Blood Pressure, or if you want more, go for our 30-Day Mediterranean Diet Meal Plan for High Blood Pressure.
Other lifestyle habits also influence blood pressure. This includes physical activity, sleep and stress. Too much sodium has been connected with high blood pressure, and so has drinking too much alcohol. Even being dehydrated may raise your blood pressure, so try to drink enough water each day.
Our Expert Take
This study suggests that beet juice may help lower blood pressure, and that there may be a connection between beet juice, blood pressure and your mouth’s microbiome—including reducing potentially harmful inflammatory bacteria. Nitrates are found in many plants, including beets, spinach, kale, fennel and celery.
Taking a whole-health view of blood pressure means considering your diet, physical activity, stress and sleep. Choose an area you’re likely to have success with and start working on it today. While changes don’t happen overnight, small changes and healthy habits can add up to helpful benefits for your heart health.
