Beetroot juice significantly lowers systolic blood pressure by about 7 mmHg in adults aged 67–79 but shows no significant effect in adults aged 18–30. Beetroot consumption reshapes the oral microbiome, suppressing potentially inflammatory genera such as Prevotella while boosting nitrate-reducing genera such as Neisseria that enhance nitrate-to-nitrite conversion and nitric oxide–mediated vasodilation. Certain bacteria, including Prevotella dentalis, perform DNRA and produce ammonia, which disrupts nitrate conversion and reduces nitric oxide production, undermining blood-pressure benefits. Omega-3s, garlic, turmeric, regular movement, good sleep, stress management, and oral health support cardiovascular benefits and suggest age- and microbiome-tailored dietary guidance.
Aging has long been viewed as an inevitable march toward frailty - marked by weakening muscles, slower reflexes and rising blood pressure. But groundbreaking research from the University of Exeter reveals a startling twist. A study published July 3 in Free Radical Biology and Medicine found that beetroot not only lowers blood pressure in older adults but also reshapes their oral microbiome in ways that could redefine healthy aging. For a generation increasingly skeptical of pharmaceutical solutions, this discovery offers a compelling, science-backed alternative.
For years, scientists have known that nitrate-rich vegetables like beetroot help lower blood pressure. The process seemed straightforward - mouth bacteria convert dietary nitrates into nitrites. These nitrites then become nitric oxide in the bloodstream, relaxing blood vessels. But this new study, involving 39 young adults (ages 18-30) and 36 older adults (ages 67-79), found something unexpected. While both groups experienced microbiome shifts after two weeks of
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