Does mouthwash kill the *good* bacteria in your mouth similar to how hand sanitizer kills the *good* bacteria or your hands?
In:
Yes.
I’ve recently taken part in a UK medical trial researching the effect of beetroot in lowering blood pressure.
We had to stop using mouthwash during the trial because our bodies need the bacteria in our mouths to convert Nitrate in our food to Nitrite. Beetroot is one of many foods high in Nitrate. I was told by the researchers that this is a symbiotic relationship that has developed over millions of years.
Our bodies can’t convert Nitrate without this oral bacteria. (Our bodies then use the Nitrite to make Nitric Oxide which relaxes blood vessels thus lowering blood pressure)
More information [here: The Role of Salivary Glands and Oral Bacteria](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/27872324)
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