Mouthwash Use Raises Blood Pressure

We all have heard that exercise is supposed to lower blood pressure, right? While that still holds true a new study led by the University of Plymouth in association with the Centre of Genomic Regulation in Barcelona, Spain has found that using mouthwash can significantly lessen the benefit. That’s right, crazy as it sounds mouthwash use reduces the amount exercise lowers blood pressure. So, what does one have to do with the other and what kind of silliness is this?    

During exercise the blood vessels open up larger to facilitate blood flow. This vasodilation occurs when endothelial cells in the blood vessels produce Nitric oxide. The nitric oxide relaxes the vessel walls allowing the greater blood flow. Nitric oxide begins to decompose rather quickly into a compound known as nitrate. Once exercise stops NO production also reduces. For this reason it is not well understood how post exercise blood flow remains elevate also lowering BP.

Over the past decade or so research has found that nitrate can be absorbed by the salivary glands and excreted in the saliva. Certain oral bacteria use nitrate and convert it to nitrite. Nitrite is in turn swallowed, rapidly absorbed and reduced back into nitric oxide.  This is believed to be the reason for the widened blood vessels and lower BP.

To prove their hypothesis the researchers followed 23 subjects having them exercise on treadmills. The subjects were monitored for 2 hours after exercise and asked to rinse with a liquid every thirty minutes. Half the group used a placebo the other antibacterial mouthwash. All the participants had their blood pressure measured, saliva and blood samples taken before and 2 hours after. Those who used the mouthwash had a 60% reduced blood pressure lowering effect compared to the placebo group. The lack of bacteria due to using the mouthwash inhibited the production of nitrite. Other current studies have shown that the use of antibacterial mouthwash can raise blood pressure under resting conditions as well.  

For those battling hypertension or are pre-hypertensive consider reducing the use of mouth wash particularly following exercise.