Common Vegetables That Help Lower Blood Pressure in Just Two Weeks
A recent scientific study has revealed that consuming certain vegetables rich in nitrates — particularly beetroot — can help lower blood pressure within just two weeks, especially among older adults. According to the British newspaper The Independent, citing the journal Free Radical Biology and Medicine, beetroot juice helps reduce blood pressure by inhibiting harmful bacteria in the mouth and boosting the production of nitric oxide, which dilates blood vessels and improves blood flow.
Researchers from the University of Exeter (UK) conducted a study involving 39 participants under the age of 30 and 36 others aged between 60 and 70. Over two weeks, participants consumed beetroot juice rich in dietary nitrates, followed by a rest period and then a second trial using a placebo juice without nitrates. The scientists used gene sequencing techniques to analyze changes in the oral bacteria after each phase.
The results showed that the oral microbiome — the microbial environment in the mouth — underwent noticeable changes in both groups, but the effect was more significant among older adults. In these participants, there was a reduction in types of bacteria linked to inflammation and an increase in beneficial bacteria. Researchers also recorded a clear drop in blood pressure among older participants after two weeks of consuming nitrate-rich juice.
Professor Andy Jones from the University of Exeter said that “foods rich in nitrates can alter the oral microbiome in ways that reduce inflammation and lower blood pressure in older adults.” He also called for further research to explore how lifestyle and biological sex might influence the body’s response to nitrate supplementation.
Professor Annie Vanhatalo added that “aging reduces the body’s natural production of nitric oxide, which increases the risk of high blood pressure, heart disease, and strokes.” She emphasized that a diet high in nitrates could serve as a natural and effective way to improve cardiovascular health.
The study noted that the benefits are not limited to beetroot; other nitrate-rich vegetables such as spinach, arugula (rocket), celery, fennel, and cabbage can produce similar results when included regularly in the daily diet.
Dr. Lee Penniston, deputy director at the UK’s Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council, concluded that these findings highlight “the vital role of biological sciences in understanding the link between diet, the oral microbiome, and healthy aging.” He added that the study represents a promising step toward using nutrition as an effective means to improve vascular health and prevent heart disease.
