Beetroot Juice May Help Lower Blood Pressure In Older Adults, Study Suggests

Drinking beetroot juice could help reduce blood pressure in older adults, according to a new study released on Wednesday.

Researchers from the University of Exeter in the UK have found that the blood pressure-lowering effect of nitrate-rich beetroot juice in older individuals may be linked to specific shifts in their oral microbiome.

Nitrate, a compound naturally present in vegetables, plays an important role in maintaining vascular health.

In the study, older adults who consumed a concentrated beetroot juice shot twice daily for two weeks showed a reduction in blood pressure.

Younger participants, interestingly, did not experience the same benefit.

Published in the journal ‘Free Radical Biology and Medicine’, the study highlights the potential of dietary nitrate to influence oral bacteria in a way that supports cardiovascular health.

Professor Andy Jones from the University of Exeter stated, “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. 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.”

Study Details and Participant Data

75 participants, 39 under the age of 30 and 36 in their 60s and 70s, received either nitrate-rich beetroot juice or a nitrate-free placebo for two-week periods.

In older adults, the researchers observed a decrease in the prevalence of potentially harmful mouth bacteria such as ‘Prevotella’, and an increase in beneficial bacteria like ‘Neisseria’, after taking the nitrate-rich juice.

The study suggests that maintaining a healthy balance of oral bacteria may support the body’s ability to convert dietary nitrate into nitric oxide, a molecule that plays a critical role in blood vessel function and blood pressure regulation.

For those not fond of beetroot, Professor Anni Vanhatalo from the University of Exeter offered reassurance, noting, “The good news is that if you don’t like beetroot, there are many nitrate-rich alternatives like spinach, rocket, fennel, celery, and kale.”

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