Mouthwash linked to higher blood pressure (hypertension) and reduced exercise benefits? FHS CLIP!

We all are starting to know that the bacteria in our GUT influence overall health, but perhaps less obvious is the connection between oral bacteria and a variety of health conditions..

Mouthwash is used by a large majority of people. Short-term clinical trials have shown that antibacterial mouthwash deplete oral nitrate-reducing bacteria, and decrease systemic nitric oxide bioavailability.

Exercise induced vessels changes are severely limited when using mouthwash. In fact a new study showed that participants that used mouthwash before and after exercise had a 60% diminishing effect of the blood pressure lowering effects of exercise!

“These findings show that nitrite synthesis by oral bacteria is hugely important in kick-starting how our bodies react to exercise over the first period of recovery, promoting lower blood pressure and greater muscle oxygenation,” said co-author Craig Cutler, doctoral candidate, University of Plymouth. “In effect, it's like oral bacteria are the 'key' to opening up the blood vessels. If they are removed, nitrite can't be produced and the vessels remain in their current state.”

“We know one cannot be well without an adequate amount of NO circulating throughout the body. Yet, the very first thing over 200 million Americans do each day is use an antiseptic mouthwash, which destroys the ‘good bacteria’ that helps to create the NO. These once thought good habits may be doing more harm than good.”

-Nathan Bryan, Ph.D.

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31709...


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Disclaimer: Also consult with a physician before starting a new rehab exercise, training routine, diet, or dietary supplement.