Beetroot Juice Consumption Linked to Significant Blood Pressure Reduction
Topic: Fruits and Vegetables
Author: American Heart Association
Published: 2013/04/15 - Updated: 2024/07/01
Publication Type: Research, Study, Analysis - Peer-Reviewed: Yes
Contents: Summary - Introduction - Main - Related
Synopsis: Study reveals drinking a cup of beetroot juice per day may help reduce blood pressure. Eating vegetables rich in dietary nitrate and other critical nutrients may be an accessible and inexpensive way to manage blood pressure... The USDA recommends filling half your plate with fruits and vegetables, and the American Heart Association recommends eating eight or more fruit and vegetable servings every day.
Introduction
A cup of beetroot juice a day may help reduce your blood pressure, according to a small study in the American Heart Association journal Hypertension.
Main Digest
What is Beetroot?
Beetroot, also known in North America as table beet, garden beet, red or golden beet, or simply as beet, refers to any of the cultivated varieties of beet (Beta vulgaris) grown for their edible taproots, especially B. vulgaris L. subsp. conditiva. The usually deep red roots of beetroot are eaten either grilled, boiled, or roasted as a cooked vegetable, cold as a salad after cooking and adding oil and vinegar, or raw and shredded, either alone or combined with any salad vegetable.
Beetroot is a rich source of potent antioxidants and nutrients, including magnesium, sodium, potassium and vitamin C., and betaine, which functions by acting with other nutrients to reduce the concentration of homocysteine, a homologue of the naturally occurring amino acid cysteine, which has been suggested to be harmful to blood vessels and thus contribute to the development of heart disease, stroke, and peripheral vascular disease.
People with high blood pressure who drank about 8 ounces of beetroot juice experienced a decrease in blood pressure of about 10 mm Hg. But the preliminary findings don't yet suggest that supplementing your diet with beetroot juice benefits your health, researchers said.
"Our hope is that increasing one's intake of vegetables with a high dietary nitrate content, such as green leafy vegetables or beetroot, might be a lifestyle approach that one could easily employ to improve cardiovascular health," said Amrita Ahluwalia, Ph.D., lead author of the study and a professor of vascular pharmacology at The Barts and The London Medical School in London.
The beetroot juice contained about 0.2g of dietary nitrate, levels one might find in a large bowl of lettuce or perhaps two beetroots. In the body the nitrate is converted to a chemical called nitrite and then to nitric oxide in the blood. Nitric oxide is a gas that widens blood vessels and aids blood flow.
"We were surprised by how little nitrate was needed to see such a large effect," Ahluwalia said. "This study shows that compared to individuals with healthy blood pressure much less nitrate is needed to produce the kinds of decreases in blood pressure that might provide clinical benefits in people who need to lower their blood pressure. However, we are still uncertain as to whether this effect is maintained in the long term."
The study involved eight women and seven men who had a systolic blood pressure between 140 to 159 millimeters of mercury (mm Hg), did not have other medical complications and were not taking blood pressure medication. The study participants drank 250 mL of beetroot juice or water containing a low amount of nitrate, and had their blood pressure monitored over the next 24 hours.
Blood pressure is typically recorded as two numbers:
- Systolic blood pressure, which is the top number and the highest, measures the pressure in the arteries when the heart beats.
- Diastolic blood pressure, the bottom and lower number, measures blood pressure in the arteries between heart beats.
Compared with the placebo group, participants drinking beetroot juice had reduced systolic and diastolic blood pressure - even after nitrite circulating in the blood had returned to their previous levels prior to drinking beetroot. The effect was most pronounced three to six hours after drinking the juice but still present even 24 hours later.
In the United States, more than 77 million adults have diagnosed high blood pressure, a major risk factor for heart diseases and stroke. Eating vegetables rich in dietary nitrate and other critical nutrients may be an accessible and inexpensive way to manage blood pressure, Ahluwalia said.
Getting people to eat more fruits and vegetables is challenging, but results of the study offer hope, she said. "In the U.K., the general public is told that they should be eating five portions of fruit or vegetables a day but this can be hard to do. Perhaps we should have a different approach to dietary advice. If one could eat just one (fruit or vegetable) a day, this is one more than nothing and should be viewed as positive."
The USDA recommends filling half your plate with fruits and vegetables, and the American Heart Association recommends eating eight or more fruit and vegetable servings every day.
About the Authors
Co-authors are Suborno M. Ghosh, B.Sc.; Vikas Kapil, M.A., M.B.B.S., M.R.C.P.; Isabel Fuentes-Calvo, Ph.D.; Kristen J. Bubb, Ph.D.; Vanessa Pearl; Alexandra B. Milsom,BSc PhD; Rayomand Khambata, B.Sc., Ph.D.; Sheiva Maleki-Toyserkani, B.Med.Sci.; Mubeen Yousuf, B.Med.Sci.; Nigel Benjamin, M.D., F.R.C.P.; Andrew J. Webb, Ph.D., M.R.C.P.; Mark J. Caulfield, M.D., F.R.C.P.; and Adrian J. Hobbs, B.Sc., Ph.D. Author disclosures are on the manuscript.
Related Information
- Health Benefits of Beet Juice for Muscles: Report details the ability of beet juice to enhance blood flow to exercising muscle groups.
- Beetroot Juice Could Help People Live More Active Lives: New research into health benefits of beetroot juice suggests it may help seniors or people with heart or lung-conditions enjoy more active lives.
- Drinking Beetroot Juice Boosts Stamina: Study reveals drinking beetroot juice reduces oxygen uptake to an extent that cannot be achieved by other means including training.
Attribution/Source(s):
This peer reviewed publication was selected for publishing by the editors of Disabled World due to its significant relevance to the disability community. Originally authored by American Heart Association, and published on 2013/04/15 (Edit Update: 2024/07/01), the content may have been edited for style, clarity, or brevity. For further details or clarifications, American Heart Association can be contacted at heart.org. NOTE: Disabled World does not provide any warranties or endorsements related to this article.
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Cite This Page (APA): American Heart Association. (2013, April 15 - Last revised: 2024, July 1). Beetroot Juice Consumption Linked to Significant Blood Pressure Reduction. Disabled World. Retrieved September 7, 2024 from www.disabled-world.com/fitness/nutrition/fruits-veggies/beet-juice.php
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