Beet juice lowers blood pressure in patients with hypertension. According to a study carried out on more than 60 people, beetroot juice plays a positive role as a natural treatment for hypertension. Drinking a glass of beetroot juice (250 ml) a day can significantly lower blood pressure. According to the researchers, this is the first study to show a long-term effect of beetroot juice on blood pressure.
Hypertension can be daunting for your health. This condition, which is from a medical point of view a symptom and not a disease, clearly increases the risk of suffering from myocardial infarction, stroke or serious kidney problems. It is estimated that for each reduction of 2mmHg in blood pressure, the risk of suffering from heart disease decreases by 7% and that of stroke by 10%.
Hypertension under study
Researchers at Queen Mary University of London (QMUL) carried out a double-blind, placebo-controlled study of 64 patients aged 18 to 85, all suffering from hypertension. Of these participants, half were on blood pressure medication but failed to achieve their treatment goal and the other half had high blood pressure but were not taking blood pressure medication.
250 ml of beetroot juice for 4 weeks
Each participant was randomly assigned to one of the two groups. The first group consumed a glass of beetroot juice per day, about 250 ml, and the other group also received beetroot juice, but it did not contain nitrate (placebo group). Nitrate, which is found in large quantities in beet juice, is transformed in the body into nitric oxide (NO), a molecule with a significant hypotensive effect. The study was double-blind, which means that neither the participants nor the personnel carrying out the study at the operational level knew whether it was beet juice (with nitrate) or not. Participants consumed beet juice with or without nitrate for 4 weeks, but follow-up lasted a total of 8 weeks. Indeed, the scientists measured the tension of the participants two weeks before and two weeks after the end of the study.
8/4mmHg decrease in blood pressure in four weeks
In participants consuming beetroot juice with nitrate for four weeks, blood pressure fell by 8mmHg for systolic blood pressure and 4mmHg for diastolic blood pressure. On the other hand, during the 2 weeks after the end of the study, the voltage returned to its normal level, that is to say before the start of the experiment. In the placebo group, no decrease in blood pressure was observed.
Other Natural Sources of Nitrate to Lower Blood Pressure
Nitrates can also be found in foods other than beets, such as lettuces and other green leafy vegetables. However, it is important to consume these cold vegetables as in juice or salad, because if they are heated in water, the nitrates can dissolve. The possibility of being able to use a natural product, and not drugs, to lower blood pressure is very interesting. The researchers also believe that beet juice is a reasonably priced and easily accessible treatment in the fight against hypertension.
