2<\/p>\n Millions of people in the UK have high blood pressure (stock image)Credit: Alamy<\/p>\n Millions take medication to reduce the danger but your diet can also help.<\/p>\n Researchers at Exeter University found that nitrates in beetroot juice can maintain a healthy balance of bacteria in the mouth<\/a> and gut in older patients.<\/p>\n People in their 60s and 70s saw a decrease in blood pressure<\/a> after two weeks of drinking two shots of juice per day.<\/p>\n They used juice concentrate shots. In the UK, you can buy these at a cost of about \u00a31.80 each, equal to a pint of pressed juice, costing about \u00a31.65.<\/p>\n Nitrate from the juice increases the body\u2019s production of nitric oxide, which helps blood vessels to relax and regulates blood pressure<\/a>.<\/p>\n Veg alternatives if you don’t like beetroot<\/p>\n Study author Professor Anni Vanhatalo said: \u201cWe know that a nitrate-rich diet has health benefits and older people produce less of their own nitric oxide as they age<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cEncouraging older adults to consume more nitrate-rich vegetables could have significant long term health<\/a> benefits.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cThe good news is that if you don\u2019t like beetroot, there are many nitrate-rich alternatives like spinach, rocket, fennel, celery and kale.\u201d<\/p>\n The study, published in the journal Free Radical Biology and Medicine, compared the effects in 39 under-30s and 36 pensioners<\/a> in their 60s and 70s.<\/p>\n Both age groups had a \u201csignificant\u201d change in the balance of bacteria in their mouths<\/a>.<\/p>\n What is high blood pressure and what is a normal reading?<\/p>\n Experts increasingly believe the balance of bugs in our mouth and gut has a huge influence on overall health.<\/p>\n Beetroot juice did not have the same blood pressure lowering effect on younger participants.<\/p>\n Older people saw an increase in health-boosting bacteria Neisseria, and a decrease in a bug called Prevotella.<\/p>\n This in turn led to a decrease in blood pressure readings.<\/p>\n Dr Lee Beniston, of the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council, said: \u201cThis research is a great example of how bioscience can help us better understand the complex links between diet, the microbiome and healthy ageing.<\/p>\n \u201cIt opens up new opportunities for improving vascular health through nutrition<\/a>.\u201d<\/p>\n Studies are increasingly showing that the health of your mouth is linked to\u00a0stroke<\/a>,\u00a0diabetes<\/a>,\u00a0heart disease<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0dementia<\/a> – though this appears to be related the bacteria in the mouth. <\/p>\n 2<\/p>\n Beetroot juice can help lower blood pressureCredit: Getty<\/p>\n Keeping your mouth healthy reduces the risk of gum disease and tooth decay, which in turn may prevent these conditions.<\/p>\n For years, the theory has been that inflammation is the\u00a0driving\u00a0force between oral health and serious conditions like stroke and dementia.<\/p>\n In January, Japanese researchers found higher levels of the bacteria streptococcus anginosus \u2014 commonly found in the mouth and gut \u2014 among stroke victims, highlighting the \u201cimportance of preventing tooth decay\u201d.<\/p>\n Around the same time, the University of\u00a0South Carolina<\/a>\u00a0declared flossing \u201ceasy and affordable\u201d, after finding people who\u00a0flossed regularly had up to a 44% lower risk of stroke<\/a>.<\/p>\n![\"Blood](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/2xa45k0-blood-pressure-measurement-progress-939041807.jpg\")
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