Have High Blood Pressure?? Try this Beet Juice!

 


Sip on This: Beet Juice Lowers Blood Pressure

A single 8-ounce pour of beet juice lowered blood pressure significantly in people with hypertension, according to a new study. By Johannah Sakimura, Everyday Health Staff Writer beet juice blood pressure Beet juice not your cup of tea? See 7 more veggies that offer similar benefits. MONDAY, April 15, 2013 — A glass of beet juice a day may not keep the cardiologist away, but it could give your heart a solid boost. People with high blood pressure who drank a cup of the earthy purple brew lowered their blood pressure for up to 24 hours, according to a small study published today in the journal Hypertension. “It is well known that eating fruits and vegetables is good for cardiovascular health,” said Amrita Ahluwalia, PhD, the lead author of the study and a professor of vascular biology at The Barts and The London Medical School in London. However, vegetables that are rich in compounds call nitrates, including beets and their juice, may offer special benefits for people with elevated blood pressure, she said. In the body, nitrates from food are converted into nitrites and ultimately nitric oxide. This gas expands blood vessels, which improves blood flow and lowers blood pressure. Nitric oxide has the opposite effect of stress or cold temperatures, which cause blood vessels to constrict, thus raising blood pressure temporarily. In the study, 15 adults with stage 1 hypertension — defined as systolic blood pressure between 140 and 159 millimeters of mercury (mm Hg) — drank about 8 ounces of beet juice or the same amount of water with a low nitrate content and had their blood pressure monitored for the next 24 hours. A cup of beet juice has roughly the same nitrate content as two whole beets. Click here to read for info.