Beetroot juice to boost airway defense during stress
Beetroot Juice Supplement for Boosting Mucosal Immunity – The NO Cold Study
Daily beetroot juice for students during exam stress to raise airway nitric oxide and help prevent colds and respiratory infections.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Southern Methodist University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Dallas, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11124749 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
Students experiencing final-exam stress will be randomly assigned in a double-blind trial to receive either beetroot juice at one of two dosing schedules or a matching placebo for about seven days, with 150 participants total (50 per arm). The study will measure fraction of exhaled nitric oxide (FeNO) to track airway NO levels, record cold symptoms, and test nasal samples for respiratory viruses using PCR. The team is testing whether increasing airway NO via dietary nitrate from beetroot can lower the chance or severity of respiratory infections during stressful periods. Neither participants nor study staff will know who receives active juice versus placebo until the trial is complete.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Ideal candidates are otherwise-healthy college students facing exam-related stress who can drink beetroot juice or placebo and provide breath and nasal samples.
Not a fit: People not under acute stress, those with chronic respiratory disease, individuals unwilling to consume beetroot juice, or those with contraindications to dietary nitrate may not benefit or be eligible.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, beetroot juice could offer a low-cost, easy-to-take way to raise airway NO and reduce colds during high-stress periods.
How similar studies have performed: Pilot data from this team suggest beetroot juice can raise exhaled NO and lessen cold symptoms in students during finals, but larger controlled trials are limited and the approach remains emerging.
Where this research is happening
Dallas, United States
- Southern Methodist University — Dallas, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Ritz, Thomas Ekkehard — Southern Methodist University
- Study coordinator: Ritz, Thomas Ekkehard
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.