Researchers at King’s College London found an unexpected link between chewing sweet gum after eating nitrate-rich vegetables and a temporary drop in blood pressure. The findings suggest that under certain conditions, sugary chewing gum can help your body better utilize dietary nitrates found in foods such as beets, spinach, and kale.
Nitrates accumulate naturally in vegetables from the soil, but they don’t benefit your body until bacteria in your mouth convert them to nitrites. Nitrites help relax and widen blood vessels, improving blood flow and lowering blood pressure.
Effect of oral acidity on nitrate conversion
Scientists have long known that oral bacteria are essential for converting nitrate to nitrite. This process limits the amount of nitrate available to the body, so researchers have sought ways to make the conversion more efficient.
One possibility is that increased acidity in saliva may accelerate this chemical reaction. To find out, the researchers tested whether chewing sugary gum, which lowers the pH in the mouth, increases nitrite production.
Dr Andrew Webb, clinical senior lecturer in the Department of Cardiovascular and Metabolic Medicine and Science at King’s College London, said: “Whether and how the acidity of saliva in the mouth influences the conversion of inactive nitrate to the more active nitrite is a fundamental question, as it affects a range of important physiological functions, including blood pressure. However, this process is poorly studied.”
“Most studies suggest that increased acidity inhibits nitrate conversion, but this has never been investigated systemically over several hours.
“Incidentally, we previously found that combining grapefruit juice and beetroot juice reduces the acidity of saliva and inhibits the conversion of nitrates to nitrites in saliva. So we wanted to formally test whether the opposite was true: by increasing the acidity of saliva, the conversion of nitrates to nitrites was enhanced.”
Research on beet juice and chewing gum
Healthy volunteers participated in a crossover study in which they drank one shot of beetroot juice before chewing sugar-containing (Hubba Bubba® Bubbles) or sugar-free (Wrigley’s Extra®) gum for three to six hours. Throughout the experiment, researchers collected blood and saliva samples and monitored blood pressure. After at least a week, each participant repeated the study again using a different type of gum.
Compared to sugar-free gum, chewing Huba Bubba significantly increased saliva acidity and lowered pH by 1.4 points. Participants also showed a 45% increase in nitrite levels in the mouth and a 25% increase in nitrite levels circulating throughout the body.
Blood pressure also visibly decreased in the group that consumed the sweet gum. Compared to chewing sugar-free gum, systolic blood pressure (when the heart pumps blood) decreased by nearly 3 mmHg, and diastolic blood pressure (when the heart relaxes between beats) decreased by nearly 2 mmHg.
Not a blood pressure treatment
The researchers stress that these findings should not be interpreted as a recommendation for chewing sweet gum as a way to control blood pressure. This effect is temporary, and it is well known that regularly consuming sugar-containing products poses risks to your teeth and overall metabolic health.
However, many athletes already consume beets, as dietary nitrates have been shown to support athletic performance, and this discovery could prove beneficial for athletes.
Dr. Webb added: “The effects are short-lived, lasting several hours, and long-term use of sugar-containing products is not recommended for dental health. Nevertheless, the classic culinary tradition of eating appetizers and main courses, especially those containing nitrate-rich salad leaves and vegetables, with a sweet dessert (sometimes fruit) may temporarily increase blood pressure lowering and exercise enhancement.”
“Additionally, sugary chewing gum stays in your mouth for a longer period of time, so it may be more effective than drinking sugary drinks.”
Future research could benefit athletes
Co-author Dr Charlotte Mills from the University of Reading explained that the findings point to a new way to improve how the body processes nitrates without relying on long-term sugar intake.
“Bacteria living in our mouths play an important role in converting nitrates from foods such as beets into beneficial compounds that help relax blood vessels and lower blood pressure. Our findings suggest that the presence of sugar may create a more favorable environment for this process.”
“We are by no means saying that you should start chewing sugary gum on a regular basis. Frequent consumption of sugar is harmful to your dental health, and in excess it can also be detrimental to your heart’s metabolic health. Instead, our research results This provides proof of concept that we may be able to improve the way the body processes dietary nitrate, and future research should focus on developing tooth-friendly and metabolically healthy approaches to achieve the same effect.”
“The challenge now is to identify alternative strategies that are effective and suitable for long-term use.
“Dietary nitrates are already accepted as sports supplements, so we have the potential to optimize their use in athletes. If we can increase nitrate conversion, we may be able to improve the physiological benefits athletes derive from nitrate-rich foods.”
“We found that something as simple as chewing gum used with beetroot juice can influence how effectively the body converts dietary nitrates into compounds that help lower blood pressure.”
The research team now plans to conduct a larger study in athletes to further investigate how sugary chewing gum affects nitrate metabolism, blood pressure, and athletic performance.
The survey results are British Journal of Clinical Pharmacology.
