King's College London study finds chewing gum after beetroot juice temporarily lowers blood pressure

Researchers at King's College London reported that chewing a sugar‑containing gum after drinking beetroot juice significantly increased the conversion of dietary nitrates to nitrite, raising nitrite levels by about 25 % in the blood and 45 % in the mouth. In a trial with 14 healthy volunteers who consumed 70 ml of beetroot juice and chewed fresh gum every 30 minutes for 3–6 hours, systolic and diastolic blood pressure fell by 1.9–2.7 mm Hg (roughly 2 % of normal readings). The effect was short‑lived, lasting only a few hours, and the researchers cautioned that it should not replace approved hypertension medication.

The study highlighted that the sugar in the gum lowered saliva pH, enhancing the activity of oral bacteria that convert nitrates to nitrite. A sugar‑free gum did not produce the same benefit. While the findings suggest a potential, temporary adjunct to cardiovascular health, excessive consumption of sugary gum could harm dental health and metabolism, and thus is not recommended as a long‑term strategy for blood‑pressure control.