Chewing sugar-containing gum enhances the cardiovascular benefits of nitrate-rich vegetables.
Chewing sugar-containing gum enhances the cardiovascular benefits of nitrate-rich vegetables.
For the first time, researchers at King’s College London have discovered a link between chewing sugary gum after consuming vegetables high in nitrate, such as beetroot, spinach and kale, on lowering blood pressure.
Nitrate is absorbed by vegetables from the soil, but it needs to be converted into nitrite by bacteria in the mouth before it can be used by the body. Nitrite has wide-ranging effects, including the relaxation and widening of blood vessels, which enables blood to flow more easily, lowering blood pressure.
With these cardiovascular benefits limited by the bacteria in the mouth converting nitrate into nitrite which can be used by the body, scientists are investigating how this process might be enhanced. A little-explored theory is that increasing the acidity in saliva could increase this chemical reaction.
Read More: King’s College London
Photo Credit: Hans via Pixabay
