Scientists have discovered an unexpected link between chewing sugary gum and the way the body processes healthy vegetables.
A new study suggests that chewing a sugar-containing gum after drinking beetroot juice may temporarily help the body produce more of a natural compound that relaxes blood vessels and lowers blood pressure.
The research was carried out by scientists at King’s College London and published in the British Journal of Clinical Pharmacology. Although the findings are interesting, the researchers stress that they are not recommending sugary gum as a treatment for high blood pressure.
Vegetables such as beetroot, spinach, kale, celery, and lettuce are naturally rich in nitrate. Nitrate itself is not very active inside the body. It first needs to be changed into nitrite by helpful bacteria that live in the mouth before it can improve blood flow.
Once nitrite is produced, the body can turn it into nitric oxide, a molecule that relaxes and widens blood vessels. This allows blood to flow more easily and can reduce blood pressure for a short time. Scientists have known about this process for years, but they have been searching for ways to make it work more efficiently.
The research team wondered whether making saliva more acidic could help mouth bacteria convert nitrate into nitrite more effectively. To test this idea, healthy volunteers drank beetroot juice and then chewed either sugary Hubba Bubba gum or sugar-free gum in separate study sessions.
The volunteers took part in both experiments, with a week between visits. During each session, researchers measured saliva acidity, nitrite levels in saliva and blood, and blood pressure over several hours.
The sugary gum lowered the pH of saliva, making the mouth more acidic. Participants produced about 45% more nitrite in their saliva and about 25% more nitrite in their bloodstream than when they chewed sugar-free gum.
These changes were accompanied by a small reduction in blood pressure. On average, systolic blood pressure fell by almost 3 mmHg and diastolic pressure by nearly 2 mmHg compared with the sugar-free gum.
The researchers believe the gum remained in the mouth long enough to create conditions that helped the bacteria work more efficiently. They noted that sugary drinks would probably not have the same effect because they pass through the mouth much more quickly.
The scientists also see possible applications for sports nutrition. Many athletes already consume beetroot juice because dietary nitrate has been shown to improve exercise performance. If nitrate conversion can be enhanced safely, athletes may receive greater benefits from nitrate-rich foods.
The study has important limitations. It involved a small number of healthy volunteers and only measured short-term effects lasting a few hours. Regular consumption of sugary gum is not recommended because it can increase the risk of tooth decay and contribute to poor metabolic health.
Review and analysis: This study reveals an interesting biological interaction between mouth bacteria, saliva chemistry, and dietary nitrate. Its greatest strength is showing a possible new way to improve the body’s natural use of nitrate-rich foods.
However, the findings are preliminary, the blood pressure changes were modest, and safer long-term methods will need to be developed before the discovery has practical medical value.
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Source: King’s College London.
