Beetroot Juice – Daily Consumption Lowers High Blood Pressure

A study published in the American Heart Association journal Hypertension has found that an extract from beetroot juice lowers high blood pressure significantly. The researchers, from The Barts and The London Medical School in London, found that people with hypertension, who drank about eight ounces of beet juice daily, had a decrease in blood pressure of about 10 mmHg.

The researchers felt that the amount of juice from beetroots consumed contains 0.2 g of dietary nitrate – that’s about the same amount of nitrate that is found in a large bowl of lettuce or approximately two beets – would be the optimal dose for most people. But always check with your health professional before embarking on a new regime, especially if you are already taking medication to lower blood pressure or you are on blood thinners etc.

How it works

After consumption, nitrate is converted into the gas nitric oxide, which then widens blood vessels, aids blood flow, and lowers blood pressure.

Lead researcher Professor Amrita Ahluwalia explained:

“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.”