Study Overview
Scientists at King’s College London tried a simple idea. They let people drink beetroot juice, then chew gum. They wanted to see if this could change blood pressure.
Why Beetroot?
Beetroot, spinach, kale, and other green veggies contain nitrate. Nitrate is harmless until friendly bacteria in the mouth turn it into nitrite. Nitrite relaxes blood vessels, which can lower blood pressure.
What the Researchers Tested
The team wondered if making the mouth more acidic would help the bacteria work faster. Sugar in gum makes saliva a little more acidic, so they compared sugary gum with sugar‑free gum.
How the Test Was Done
Healthy volunteers drank a small shot of beetroot juice. After that they chewed either sugary gum (Hubba Bubba®) or sugar‑free gum (Wrigley’s Extra®) for three to six hours. Blood samples, saliva, and blood‑pressure readings were taken throughout the day. One week later the participants repeated the test with the other type of gum.
What They Found
- Chewing sugary gum made saliva about 1.4 pH points more acidic.
- Saliva nitrite went up 45%.
- Blood nitrite rose 25%.
- Systolic pressure dropped almost 3 mmHg and diastolic pressure fell about 2 mmHg compared with sugar‑free gum.
Important Caveats
The drop in pressure was short‑lived, lasting only a few hours. Regularly eating sugary gum is not a good idea because it can hurt teeth and raise the risk of weight gain and diabetes.
Why Athletes Might Care
Athletes already use beetroot juice to improve performance. If a simple gum can make the body use nitrate better, it could give an extra boost during training or competition.
Future Directions
The researchers want to test larger groups, especially sportspeople, to see if the effect holds up. They also hope to find sugar‑free ways to lower mouth pH so the benefit can be kept without harming teeth.
The study was published in the British Journal of Clinical Pharmacology.