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Could a simple juice act as an effective antihypertensive treatment? Learn about this dark-colored juice that regulates blood pressure and protects the heart
Boiled beets definitely have a place in fall salads. We would even say that it is included in the favorite autumn vegetables, thanks to its sweet taste. In addition, the contribution of beets to the protection of the heart and inflammation is also important, due to the antioxidants they contain.
The same benefits are seen in beetroot juice. The explanation behind these advantages also lies in its valuable ingredients. Beets – as well as other foods such as lettuce, spinach and celery – are rich in inorganic nitrates, which with the contribution of bacteria in the oral cavity are converted into nitric oxide, which helps regulate blood vessels and neurotransmission (chemical messages in the brain).
With aging, nitric oxide production declines, with corresponding declines contributing to worse vascular (blood vessels) and cognitive (brain) health. Therefore, by drinking beetroot juice often, you enhance this production, while lowering blood pressure.
In terms of effectiveness in regulating blood pressure, Mattias Carlström, researcher and Professor of Cardiophysiology at Karolinska Institutet’s Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, points out that systolic blood pressure drops by about 4 to 5 mm Hg and diastolic blood pressure by 2 mm Hg , after consuming 5-10 mmol of nitrate per day, on average. This practically means that in this simple way, it is reduced by 10% the risk of causing a stroke.
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What studies have concluded
There are numerous studies that have dealt with the contribution of beetroot juice or whole beetroot to cardiovascular health. A study from the University of Exeter, published in Redox Biology, examined the effect of beetroot juice on 26 healthy older adults who took part in two ten-day supplementation study periods: one involving consumption of nitrate-rich beetroot juice and the other a sham nitrate-free juice. In both cases, the juices were consumed twice a day.
They found that levels of bacteria associated with good vascular and cognitive health were higher, while systolic blood pressure decreased by an average of five units (mmHg) after consuming the beetroot juice.
A different study looked at the effect of drinking 250ml of beetroot juice daily in 68 people with hypertension. What the researchers discovered was that this daily habit could drastically lower the participants’ blood pressure.