When they get back from their morning jog, most people take a shower, maybe brush their teeth, and rinse their mouth with a little Listerine. But while one of these post-workout routines may make your dentist happy, it may negate all of the blood pressure-lowering benefits of exercise.
According to a new study study Research from the University of Plymouth in the UK shows that using antibacterial mouthwash within two hours of exercise is not beneficial at all. The scientists recruited 23 healthy adults to run on a treadmill for 30 minutes, then asked them to rinse their mouths with an antibacterial mouthwash or a mint-flavored water placebo (they didn’t know which). When the researchers measured the runners’ blood pressure two hours later, they were surprised to find an increase in systolic blood pressure in the antibacterial mouthwash group.
“Systolic blood pressure is the highest level of blood pressure when the heart squeezes and pushes blood throughout the body,” explains lead author Dr Raul Bescos, lecturer in nutrition and physiology at the University of Plymouth. Systolic blood pressure tends to decrease after exercise. The results of the study were shocking: Antibacterial mouthwash inhibited the effect of exercise in reducing high blood pressure by more than 60%. So what happened?
Exercise often lowers blood pressure
Everyone knows exercise is important for staying healthy, but it’s also a recommended therapeutic intervention for people with pre-existing conditions. Take high blood pressure, for example. This condition, also known as high blood pressure, increases the risk of serious health problems such as heart disease, stroke, and cardiovascular disease.According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, nearly 70% of Americans have high blood pressure, even though it is the most preventable cardiovascular disease American Heart Association (AHA).
Aerobic exercise, in particular, has been shown to be beneficial in treating high blood pressure. Research shows that 30 minutes of exercise per day can significantly reduce high blood pressure. What’s more, physical activity can also reduce high blood pressure in subjects who don’t respond to medication, according to one study. study Published in the American Heart Association’s journal Hypertension.
When you exercise, your body produces nitric oxide, which increases blood vessel diameter and increases blood flow to active muscles, research says. But until now, scientists didn’t fully understand why blood continues to circulate after exercise to lower overall blood pressure. Beskos said this has to do with the degradation of nitric oxide into nitrate compounds.
We have good bacteria in our mouths
Mouth is home billions of bacteria – Some of them are beneficial, and others not so beneficial. Similar to the gut microbiome, the bacteria in your mouth are important to good health. Disturbances in the oral microbiome may be a sign of other diseases and may even promote disease. Nitrates are excreted out of the mouth with saliva and serve as nutrients for the microbiome.
“Certain bacteria in the mouth can utilize nitrate and convert it into nitrite, a very important molecule that enhances nitric oxide production in the body,” Beskos added. When we swallow, the nitrites in saliva are absorbed by the body and converted back into nitric oxide. “This helps maintain blood vessel dilation, which leads to a sustained reduction in blood pressure after exercise,” he says.
Mouthwash removes nitrate-converting bacteria. Therefore, nitrite levels do not increase much after exercise. “These findings suggest that nitrite synthesis by oral bacteria is important for initiating our body’s response to exercise during the first stages of recovery, thereby promoting lower blood pressure and enhanced muscle oxygenation,” said study co-author Craig Carter Craig Cutler said. study. Cutler believes that oral bacteria are “the key to opening blood vessels.” Once the bacteria have been eliminated, the effectiveness is reduced; blood vessels do not dilate.
This isn’t the first time antibacterial mouthwash has been criticized. previous learning Research shows that using antibacterial mouthwash for three to seven days can increase systolic blood pressure even if people don’t exercise. It reveals how fragile our symbiotic relationship with our oral microbiota is.
Keep your oral microbes happy
To increase the good bacteria in your mouth, follow a healthy diet and eat more plant-based foods. Sugar and acidic foods are well-known enemies of oral health. Likewise, smoking and drinking can negatively impact the oral microbiome.It has been reported that taking good probiotics can promote beneficial oral bacteria – It’s also great for gut health. If you have high blood pressure, adding dietary nitrates in the form of leafy green vegetables can help lower blood pressure and promote beneficial oral bacteria.
Is it necessary to rinse your mouth after exercise? Choose a natural, non-antibacterial mouthwash.
