Chewing gum after nitrate-rich meals may temporarily lower blood pressure, study finds

Chewing gum after a meal rich in nitrates, such as spinach or beetroot, might temporarily influence blood pressure, according to a recent study. Researchers at King's College London investigated how a common habit could affect the body's processing of dietary nitrates.

Their findings, published in the British Journal of Clinical Pharmacology, indicate that sugar-sweetened gum can temporarily alter how the body utilizes nitrates. This process can lead to a slight, short-term decrease in blood pressure. The mechanism involves the conversion of nitrates found in vegetables into nitrites by oral bacteria. Nitrites are then transformed into nitric oxide, a molecule that relaxes blood vessel walls, improves circulation, and can help lower blood pressure.

The study explored whether increased saliva acidity, potentially caused by chewing gum, could enhance this conversion. After participants consumed beetroot juice, they chewed either sugar-sweetened or sugar-free gum. Results showed that sugar gum made saliva more acidic, boosting nitrite concentration by approximately 45% compared to sugar-free gum. However, the study's authors stress that this discovery should be interpreted cautiously and does not alter current hypertension treatment guidelines.

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sugar gum made saliva more acidic, and this favored the activity of oral bacteria, the concentration of nitrites in saliva increasing by about 45% compared to the situation where participants chewed sugar-free gum.