Drinking concentrated beetroot juice twice daily for two weeks measurably lowered blood pressure in adults aged 60 and older, according to a University of Exeter study published in Free Radical Biology and Medicine. The mechanism involves nitrate from the juice being converted by mouth bacteria into nitric oxide, which helps blood vessels relax. Researchers found beetroot juice reduced harmful Prevotella bacteria while boosting beneficial Neisseria in older adults' oral microbiomes. Younger adults showed microbiome changes too, but no blood pressure benefit. This suggests age-related shifts in oral bacteria may impair the nitrate-to-nitric oxide pathway, and that a simple dietary habit could help restore it. The finding highlights the oral microbiome as an underappreciated lever for cardiovascular health in aging adults.
