Beetroot juice beats hypertension!

According to scientific research, a glass of beetroot juice a day reduces blood pressure by 7% in hypertensive people.

Specifically, a study was carried out on 15 hypertensive patients (8 men and 7 women with an average age of 53 years) with a systolic pressure of 140-159/90mm who were not receiving antihypertensive treatment. Half of them drank 250 ml of beetroot juice daily while the rest only used water.

It was found that in subjects given beetroot juice, systolic pressure decreased by an average of 10mm. This effect was most pronounced within 3-6 hours after drinking the juice, but the full effect was seen within a day.

The properties of beets, according to experts, are linked to their high contents of natural nitrates, which widen blood vessels and facilitate blood circulation. Nitrates can also be found in cabbage, celery and other green leafy vegetables.

Research leader Ahluwalia noted that increasing the consumption of vegetables with a high content of natural nitrates, such as green vegetables and beets, may help reduce the incidence of cardiovascular disease.

Recent research has also shown that beetroot juice increases our endurance by about 16%. Nitrates interact with other antioxidants in vegetables, thus reducing the body's demands for oxygen.
In addition, it was found that beets have anti-cancer properties and play an important role in the protection against Alzheimer's disease.

We should point out that the consumption of beetroot can have an effect on the color of urine which should not worry us.

However, the scientists emphasized that further study is needed for the results to be reliable since the research was for a short period of time and with a small sample.

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published in the American Heart Association journal hypertension, April 15, 2013