Beet Juice Lowers Blood Pressure

Feb 06, 08

Drinking 500 milliliters of beet juice a day may significantly lower blood pressure, says a British study that found that healthy people's blood pressure decreased within an hour of drinking the juice, BBC News reported.

The reduction in blood pressure was even more pronounced three to four hours after drinking the beet juice, and some degree of reduction continued for up to 24 hours. The findings were published online in the journal Hypertension.

The researchers said nitrate, which is also found in green, leafy vegetables, appears to be the key blood pressure-lowering ingredient in beet juice, BBC News reported.

"Our research suggests that drinking beetroot juice, or consuming other nitrate-rich vegetables, might be a simple way to maintain a healthy cardiovascular system, and might also be an additional approach that one could take in the modern day battle against rising blood pressure," said study author Professor Amrita Ahluwalia.