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Why Beetroot Is Good?
 

Blood pressure is measured by 2 numbers: the upper refers to systolic pressure and the lower is the diastolic pressure. A person is said to have hypertension when his or her blood pressure exceeds 140/90 mmHg (millimeters of mercury).

Hypertension (or more commonly called high blood pressure) does not have any symptoms, yet it can be deadly for hypertensive people who do not receive proper treatment. While it is a disease by itself, it can eventually lead to other chronic medical conditions including heart disease and stroke. About 76.4 million American adults and about 16 million Britons have been diagnosed with hypertension.

American Heart Association (AHA) suggests that adopting a heart-healthy lifestyle can help reduce, prevent or delay development of high blood pressure. Eating a better diet with lower salt, exercising regularly, managing stress, and maintaining a healthy weight forms part of a heart-healthy lifestyle.

A study conducted by researchers from Queen Mary, University of London and other British institutions found that a cup of beetroot juice a day could actually help lower blood pressure in patients with hypertension. Their findings were published online April 15, 2013 in the AHA journal ‘Hypertension’.

In the study, the researchers examined the impact of consuming nitrate on blood pressure in rats and then confirmed their findings in a small study involving 15 patients (8 women and 7 men) with hypertension.

Nitrate can be found in vegetables including beetroot, lettuce, cabbage and fennel. Nitrate is taken in through vegetables’ roots in the soil. When it is converted to a gas known as nitric oxide, it has a relaxing effect on blood vessels and might help lower blood pressure.

With a systolic blood pressure between 140 to 159 mmHg, the 15 participants did not have other medical problems, and were not on any hypertensive drugs. They drank 250 ml (millimeters) of beetroot juice or water consisting of a low amount of nitrate. Their blood pressures were measured over the following 24 hours. It was found that an average of 10-point decrease in their blood pressure levels.

250 ml of beetroot juice contained about 0.2 gram of dietary nitrate, the same amount that can be found in a large bowl of lettuce or 2 beetroots. The effect of the beetroot juice was most distinct between 3 and 6 hours after it was consumed, but was still evident 24 hours later. The researchers were surprised to see such a large effect that was produced by such a small amount of nitrate.

The findings no doubt suggested that it might be possible to lower hypertension by consuming more foods containing large quantities of nitrates like green vegetables and beetroot. It also supported current recommendation that people should be eating plenty of green vegetables. Nevertheless, larger studies in patients to examine if nitrate-rich vegetables are effective in lowering blood pressure in the long run.

As mentioned before, people can reduce their blood pressure by altering their lifestyle, such as consuming less salt or losing weight. For instance, a previous study in Cochrane Library indicated that consuming cocoa powder and dark chocolate might slightly reduce blood pressure, and a different study in the ‘American Journal of Clinical Nutrition’ showed that high doses of Vitamin C might lower blood pressure.

Beetroot, also known in North America as the table beet, garden beet, red or golden beet, or simply as the beet. It had been shown by previous research to increase stamina, boost blood supply to vital areas of the brain. A 2011 study published in the journal ‘Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise’, for example, reported that drinking beetroot juice made cyclists’ muscles and cardio-vascular system run more efficiently since they had a higher power output for the same level of effort.

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