Even when people ate a diet low in nitrate, using the special mouthwash still increased their blood pressure, which suggests the effect comes from the body's own nitrate recycling process.

When mouth bacteria are disrupted, blood pressure goes up regardless of how it's measured - whether at the doctor's office, at home, or with a 24-hour monitor.

The small blood pressure increase from using the special mouthwash was similar in size to what's known to increase the risk of heart disease and stroke.

When people used the special mouthwash, their blood pressure went up but their heart rate didn't change, which suggests the effect is specific to blood pressure regulation.

The blood pressure increase from using the special mouthwash was the same whether measured at the doctor's office, at home, or with a 24-hour monitor.

When nitrite levels in the blood went down after using mouthwash, blood pressure went up, and this connection was strong enough to be statistically significant.