Beetroot juice lowers blood pressure by changing oral microbiome: study

Roman lead, pipes, and historical health analogies

• Several commenters challenge the “lead pipes caused the fall of Rome” story as pop‑science.
• Arguments: lead pipes quickly scale with minerals and Roman water systems were constant‑flow, limiting leaching; bigger exposures likely came from lead cookware, wine reduction in lead vessels, and lead acetate as a sweetener.
• Others note new work on Roman-era atmospheric lead and modern evidence linking lead exposure to crime, but still see little support for “lead caused the Empire’s fall.”
• The thread uses this as analogy: infrastructure/diet can be both a huge advance (aqueducts, cheap calories) and a subtle long‑term health hazard.

Processed, enriched foods vs whole foods

• One line of discussion blames highly processed, enriched diets for modern ill‑health.
• Pushback: fortification has dramatically reduced historical deficiencies (e.g., iron, folate, B vitamins), and it’s ahistorical to claim people were generally healthier before.
• Consensus trend: whole, minimally processed foods are better, but enriched staples are preferable to deficiency. Ultra‑processed foods are suspected to have additional harms beyond their nutrient labels, though mechanisms remain unclear and evidence is debated.

Oral microbiome, mouthwash, and nitric oxide

• The study’s nitrate→nitrite→NO pathway drives extensive debate about oral microbiome health.
• Many warn that broad‑spectrum mouthwashes (especially alcohol and chlorhexidine) “nuke” oral bacteria, reduce NO production, and may worsen blood pressure or sexual performance.
• Others argue mouthwash has targeted medical roles; some advocate milder or xylitol‑based rinses, while critics cite possible cardiovascular or GI risks of sugar alcohols.
• There’s side controversy over “functional” vs conventional practitioners and the quality of evidence they rely on.

Nitrates, nitrites, and processed meats

• Commenters clarify:
  • Beetroot, celery, and many vegetables are high in nitrates.
  • Processed meats rely mainly on nitrites; “uncured” meats using celery juice still effectively add nitrate/nitrite despite marketing claims.
• Concern is raised that the same nitrogen chemistry producing beneficial NO can also yield carcinogenic nitrosamines, especially in meat; vitamin C and low amino‑acid context in vegetable juices may reduce this risk, but overall cancer risk tradeoffs remain unclear.

Beetroot juice use, dosing, and practicalities

• Mechanism: oral bacteria convert dietary nitrate to nitrite, then to nitric oxide, causing vasodilation and blood‑pressure lowering; effects are short‑lived, so ongoing intake is needed rather than a permanent microbiome “reset.”
• Sports context: beet juice is widely used as a legal “ergogenic aid” in endurance and strength sports; multiple studies suggest modest performance gains, especially with several days of higher dosing.
• A cited protocol used ~2×70 ml/day of juice, each with ~595 mg nitrate—difficult to replicate just by eating whole beets.
• Tradeoffs discussed:
  • Juice vs whole beets: juice is effectively “processed” (less fiber, more rapid sugar hit), while whole beets support the gut microbiome better.
  • Sugar load from beet juice may matter for some; others point out humans need substantial calories anyway, and the solution is moderation, not “guzzling.”
  • Possible downsides: oxalate burden, cost and variable quality of commercial juices, and mild tooth staining (less than tea/coffee).
  • Alternatives and complements mentioned include L‑citrulline, L‑arginine, sunlight exposure, humming (for NO), and simply cooking with beets (borscht, beet cakes, smoothies, beet kvass).

Lifestyle context and marginal gains

• A recurring theme is that solid sleep, regular movement, mostly‑plant diets, and avoiding tobacco/alcohol are the main health levers.
• Beetroot juice and microbiome tweaks are framed as “marginal gains” on top of, not substitutes for, those basics.