Special mouthwash helps lower blood pressure
Functional mouth rinse containing inorganic nitrate and antioxidants bolsters the enterosalivary pathway and lowers blood pressure in Wistar rats
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a healthcare professional. Terms
Surprising Findings
Chlorhexidine mouthwash increased blood pressure while nitrate mouthwash lowered it
Most people think antibacterial mouthwash is good for oral health, but this study shows it may actually harm cardiovascular health by killing beneficial bacteria.
Practical Takeaways
Switch to a nitrate-antioxidant mouthwash if you're concerned about blood pressure
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a healthcare professional. Terms
Surprising Findings
Chlorhexidine mouthwash increased blood pressure while nitrate mouthwash lowered it
Most people think antibacterial mouthwash is good for oral health, but this study shows it may actually harm cardiovascular health by killing beneficial bacteria.
Practical Takeaways
Switch to a nitrate-antioxidant mouthwash if you're concerned about blood pressure
Publication
Journal
Scientific Reports
Year
2025
Authors
K. Senkus, Maria Azrad, A. Bolland, Han-A Park, Johnny R Tice, Meijuan Zhang, Taiming Liu, Arlin B Blood, William Van Der Pol, Casey Morrow, Kristi M Crowe-White
Related Content
Claims (10)
Bacteria in the mouth help regulate blood pressure by converting nitrate to nitrite, which is part of the body's natural blood pressure control system.
Rats using a special nitrate mouthwash had their blood pressure drop significantly (15% systolic, 29% diastolic) after one week, while rats using regular mouthwash didn't see any change.
The special mouthwash made rats' saliva have 5.7 times more nitrate and 6.3 times more nitrite than regular mouthwash, which helps the body's natural blood pressure regulation system.
Rats using the special mouthwash had more good bacteria in their mouths that help convert nitrate to nitric oxide, compared to rats using regular mouthwash.
In rats, higher nitrate levels in blood and saliva were linked to lower blood pressure, showing how the body's nitrate system might help control blood pressure.