Drinking beetroot juice may help reduce high blood pressure, according to a new study.
Researchers found that a glass of beetroot juice lowered systolic blood pressure (the top number in a blood pressure reading) by around 5mmHg in a small group of healthy men.
“It’s promising that we can see an effect from a single dose,” says researcher Leah Coles, PhD, research fellow at the Baker IDI Heart and Diabetes Institute in Melbourne, Australia. “That effect might be even greater over the long term if they are drinking it day upon day.”
This is the first study to isolate the effects of beetroot juice from other blood pressure treatments, and results showed blood pressure reducing for six hours after drinking the beetroot juice, and with the largest reduction occurring in men.
Experts suggest the high concentration of nitrates in beetroot is responsible for the blood pressure lowering benefits.
Nitrate rich foods, like beetroot and leafy green vegetables are converted to nitric oxide within the body. The nitric oxide lowers blood pressure by relaxing and dilating blood vessels.
Although more research is needed on the long term use of nitrates, a diet rich leafy green vegetables, is recommended as part of the DASH (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension) diet, which has been proven to lower blood pressure naturally.
Rob Woodgate, spokesperson for the Hypnotension Programme, said, “This research highlights the effect that foods can have on blood pressure – in this case, in a helpful way – and adds to the great number of things people can do to lower blood pressure naturally.”
