A new study has found that chewing bubble gum after eating vegetables such as beetroot, spinach, or kale may help lower blood pressure and protect heart health.
Leafy and root vegetables are rich in nitrates, which are considered highly beneficial for cardiovascular health. These nitrates initiate a process in the body that helps widen blood vessels, improve blood flow, and enable muscles to produce energy more efficiently.
Researchers say that this process can significantly reduce blood pressure, which may greatly lower the risk of life threatening conditions such as heart attacks and strokes.
However, to obtain these benefits, nitrates must first be converted into another chemical called nitrite, a process carried out by specific bacteria present in the mouth.
Scientists from King’s College London and the University of Reading were exploring ways to make this conversion process more effective. During the study, they discovered that sweetened (sugar containing) chewing gum may enhance the process.
Cardiovascular expert Andrew Webb said that previous observations had shown that when grapefruit juice is consumed with beetroot juice, the acidity of saliva decreases, which affects the conversion of nitrate into nitrite.
He further explained that this led researchers to investigate whether increasing the acidity of saliva could accelerate the conversion of nitrate into nitrite.
In the study, volunteers were given a shot of beetroot juice and then asked to chew gum for several hours. Some participants were given chewing gum containing higher amounts of sugar, while others were provided with sugar free chewing gum.
