Can Beet Juice Help Lower Blood Pressure
A study conducted in 2008 found that just two cups of beet juice daily may lower blood pressure. Nitrates are found in abundant supply in beets and play the big role. This is also true of leafy greens such as dark lettuces, spinach and kale.
In one study, 14 volunteers drank water or two cups of organic beet juice in a half an hour. Blood pressure was checked every fifteen minutes for an hour before they had the juice and every fifteen minutes three hours after they had the juice. They were then checked every hour for six hours and again at 24 hours after they had the juice.
When compared to those who drank water, the ones drinking beet juice saw a decrease in blood pressure an hour after they consumed it. The lowest points were reached about two and a half to three hours after drinking the juice and the effects continued for as long as twenty-four hours.
Why Beet Juice Works?
Nitrate found in the beet juice gets converted by the tongues bacteria into a chemical called nitrite. When this gets in the stomach, it turns into nitric oxide which hits the blood stream as nitrite once again. These studies showed blood pressure to be at its lowest when nitrite levels in the bloodstream were highest.
The researchers state that the nitrites work to protect from endothelial dysfunction, causing blood vessels to have trouble expanding and contracting with the blood flow. They will have anti-platelet properties as well.
Healthy Liver
Our Choice For The Best Beet Supplements For High Blood Pressure
Which among these brands can be considered as the best beet supplement? From the data that we have gathered, we think you are better off starting with Natures Way Premium Herbal Beet Root Dietary Supplement.
This supplement contains high-quality beets with plenty of nitrates that can boost your blood circulation to enhance your muscles and your overall performance. It supports liver function, so you will be able to remove toxic substances in your body safely. You will find that taking this supplement as part of your diet is going to give you a huge improvement not just to your health but your blood pressure and performance too in the long run.
Colored Urine And Stool
Also known as beeturia, this phenomenon sees your body produce pink or red colored urine. For some, their stool may also be this alarming color and can be easily mistaken for blood in the stool or urine. While alarming, this isnt a cause for concern and is usually harmless.The dark-colored betanin pigment responsible for this trademark reddish pink hue of the beetroot merely color your urine and stools. This condition should pass in 48 hours or less, and stools and urine after this should return to their normal color.4 Once you stop consumption of beet juice or beets, anything beyond this 48-hour timeline may need to be investigated by a medical professional.
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Beet Juice Boosts Fitness And Lowers Blood Pressure
If you already eat beets, you are on the right track however, the real magic turns out to be raw beet juice, according to WebMD.
Researchers say raw beet juice will give you a boost when you exercise and it will help lower blood pressure. The secret comes from the natural chemicals called nitrates found in beets. The body changes nitrates into nitric oxide, which helps improve blood flow and lower blood pressure.
New Rules for Blood Pressure
The issue of blood pressure is even more significant with new lowered blood pressure markers, which means almost half of all American adults are now considered to have high blood pressure. Many do not even know their blood pressure is too high. If you didn’t have high blood pressure before, it is possible you do now.
New guidelines in 2017 from the American Heart Association, the American College of Cardiology, and nine other health organizations lowered the numbers for the diagnosis of hypertension to 130/80 and higher for all adults. The former guidelines set the cut line at 140/90 for adults younger than 65 and 150/80 for 65 and older. Now 70 to 79 percent of men who are 55 and older are categorized as having hypertension. Check yours with your doctor to know where you stand.
Working on the Problem
Understanding Raw and Cooked Beets
Raw beets have 58 calories and 13 grams of carbohydrates in a cup. A cup of beet juice is about 100 calories with 25 grams of carbohydrates. The difference is in the processing.
Beetroot Juice Lowers Pressure
Can you lower your blood pressure by drinking beetroot juice? Yes, you actually can. Mattias Carlström, a docent in Physiology and a research group leader, explains the connection.
Text: Annika Lund, first published in Swedish in the magazine Medicinsk Vetenskap no 1/2021.
It has to do with nitric oxide, a gaseous signalling molecule that impacts various systems in the body, including the cardiovascular, renal, immune and nervous systems. In 1998, three researchers received the Nobel Prize for discovering that nitric oxide plays a major role in important functions of the cardiovascular system. Among other things, they managed to explain why the heart medication used by older generations, nitroglycerine, has an effect on angina. The answer is that nitroglycerine releases nitric oxide, which has a vasodilating effect.
Where does the beetroot juice come in?
How big is the impact?
On average, systolic blood pressure is reduced by approximately 4 to 5 mm Hg and diastolic pressure drops by 2 mm Hg, following ingestion of 5-10 mmol of nitrate per day. This is an overall picture from studies in which the subjects have consumed nitrate-rich diets, often incorporating beetroot juice, for various lengths of time and in slightly different quantities, but in all cases a quantity that can be ingested as part of ones diet. Its a clinically relevant reduction a reduction of 2 mm Hg in blood pressure means a 10 percent reduction in the risk of having a stroke.
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Studies Have Shown That The Presence Of Certain Phytochemicaland Antioxidants In Beets Can Help Manage Conditions Like Hypertension And Heart Disease
Winter is here and so are a variety of vegetables that offer a range of health benefits. One of these vegetables is beetroot, the ruby-coloured delight that comes loaded with antioxidants and phytochemical giving your body a health boost during the winter months. Betacyanins, the antioxidants present in beetroot, are responsible for their gorgeous red-hue. The winter favourite also derives most of its health benefits from these antioxidants. Some of these benefits include: supporting the liver, improving circulation, and purifying the blood. Turns out, beetroot is also great for managing your blood pressure levels. In fact, many studies have shown that the presence of certain phytochemical and antioxidants in beets can help manage conditions like hypertension and heart disease. Here’s what makes beetroot the go-to vegetable for managing blood pressure.
Stick To 8 Oz Per Serving 3 Times A Week
Nutritionists suggest keeping intake to under 8 ounces a serving, taken no more than thrice a week. Thats the equivalent of about 2 beets run through your juicer for each serving. If you find the flavor off-putting, combine beet juice with other sweeter or palate-pleasing fruit like oranges or apples.12 According to some health gurus, you can have beet juice daily without a problem. But the reality is you need to consult with your doctor before taking such large quantities of the juice. If you are already on blood pressure-lowering medication, this could jeopardize your health. Be sure that there will be no adverse reactions or side effects based on your medical history and other drugs you may be taking. And do not use this as a substitute for your prescribed medication without first checking with your doctor.
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What Else Can Help
In addition to adding hypertension-lowering drinks to your diet, you can try the following to help lower your blood pressure:
- Get moving. Incorporating physical activity into your daily routine may be as effective at lowering blood pressure as some medications. The American Heart Association recommends 150 minutes per week of moderate activity or 75 minutes per week of vigorous activity for health benefits.
- Shed excess pounds. If youre overweight or obese, your heart has to work harder to pump blood throughout your body. Even losing just a few pounds can help lower your blood pressure.
- Check out the DASH diet. The DASH diet, which was specially designed to prevent and treat hypertension, emphasizes unprocessed foods like fruits and vegetables, whole grains, and lean proteins.
- Quit smoking. Each cigarette you smoke triggers a short-term increase in your blood pressure. Over the long-term, tobacco use can harden your arteries which, in turn, can lead to high blood pressure.
- Limit stress. Chronic stress can contribute to high blood pressure. Avoid stressors when you can, and try to find healthy ways to manage your stress. While not all sources of stress can be eliminated, setting aside time for relaxation may help calm your mind and lower your blood pressure.
More Ways To Lower Your Blood Pressure Naturally
Eating or drinking beets is one thing you can do to help lower your blood pressure naturally, but if youre blood pressure is high, then youre probably going to need to do a bit more.
There are many many delicious things you can eat more of to bring down your blood pressure and improve your health in general, and theres also a lot you can do activity-wise, from different kinds of exercise to techniques to reduce stress and relax more.
Its not hard to make any of these changes, but it can be a bit overwhelming knowing where to start, which is why weve put together a book: Lower Your Blood Pressure Naturally The Complete 9 Step Guide.
As the title states, its a step-by-step guide to lowering your blood pressure naturally, through making simple changes in what you eat and drink, how you go about your day, and how you unwind and relax .
You can do each step at your own pace one a week, one a month or use it as a handbook to dip in and out of whatever suits.
Its a fully up-to-date and thoroughly comprehensive guide, giving you everything you need to know about reducing blood pressure without drugs in a straightforward easy-to-follow format.
And good luck with it all!
Image credits: Schadenfreude Iola, Food Thinkers, UGA College of Ag & Environment all via Flickr.com
Beet juice for lower blood pressure: some references:
https://www.qmul.ac.uk/media/news/items/smd/146262.html
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What Is The Right Dose
The only trouble is that, while we know the appropriate daily dose of juice , we dont know how many beets it takes to make a cup of juice .
You may need to experiment while monitoring your own blood pressure to figure out how many beets it takes. To help you overcome hypertension naturally, we are sending you our Guide to Blood Pressure Treatment. It contains many non-drug strategies as well as summaries of popular blood pressure pills.
You may want to consider adding other vegetables that are naturally high in nitrates, such as spinach and Swiss chard. They probably also have blood-pressure lowering activity and can help with a blood pressure control diet. You will also find information on the DASH diet in our book, The Peoples Pharmacy Quick & Handy Home Remedies.
Who Needs Beet Supplements
Who needs the best beet supplement? If you have high blood pressure and you want to reduce it to the right number, taking this supplement may help you out. This supplement can help make your blood vessels dilate more so that the blood will flow better with less pressure needed. This removes the risk of high blood pressure because there is no constriction happening in your blood vessels. You will find that your blood pressure will go back to its normal numbers with the help of this supplement.
If you are looking for support for your workout performance, then the best beet supplement is a good choice as it can help make more blood flow through your muscles to increase your reps and lifts. Taking this supplement on top of eating healthy and following your exercise regimen will help you build more muscles, burn more fats in the process while reducing fatigue afterward. This is a useful addition to your diet once you see the effects of this supplement to your overall performance during your workout.
You can also use the best beet supplement if you want to improve your overall health. This is because beets contain nutrients that can enhance your endurance, stimulate blood flow, improve muscle function, and even protect your heart against various problems. With regular intake, you will see that your health is improved significantly.
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How Long Does It Take For Beetroot Juice To Work
Place the cooked beets in a blender and pulse until smooth. Most of the globe types are ready to harvest in 8-10 weeks longer, cylindrical varieties take nearer 20 weeks. In similar studies undertaken on trained runners, no significant findings were recorded 90 minutes after drinking beetroot juice.
How Much Beet Juice To Lower Blood Pressure
The study consisted of 15 adults with stage 1 hypertension who drank around eight ounces of beet juice or eight ounces of water with low nitrate content.
For reference, beet juice has about as many nitrates as two whole beets.
Measuring their blood pressure for 24 hours, they found that blood pressure had dropped by about 10 mm Hg.
The highest drop in blood pressure happened three to six hours after participants drank the beet juice.
Dr. Ahluwalia had done a previous trial where the participants had healthy blood pressure levels.
In those trials, participants required about twice as much beet juice to see the same drops in blood pressure.
In this study, we saw that a dose that had a really small effect in healthy people had a really impressive effect in people with high blood pressure, said Dr. Ahluwalia.
Lowering blood pressure in people with raised blood pressure is very important because we know that approximately 50 percent of all heart attacks and 60 to 70 percent of all strokes are a direct consequence of having high blood pressure.
Its important to keep in mind, though, that these trials demonstrated the short-term effects of drinking beet juice.
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Dietary No3 And No2 Intake
The NO3 and NO2 content was determined by a database containing NO3 and NO2 values from 7703 foods and beverage records from 432 publications . To develop the most accurate and appropriate values in terms of the study population location, a similar method previously described was used with priority given to: 1) The UK/European countries from 1990 to present 2) the UK/European countries from 19601989 3) countries with predominately Western diets from 1990 to present 4) countries with predominately Western diets from 19601989 and 5) countries with predominately non-Western diets. The cut-off dates were chosen to account for changes in laboratory methods, food preservation techniques and manufacturing technologies , and legislation regulating the amounts of NO3 and NO2 used in the curing process created significant reductions in food and beverages .
NO3 and NO2 intake was calculated by multiplying the food or beverage item consumed as the weighted mean value of that item identified using the multistep process mentioned above. Weighted mean was selected as some mean values were adversely affected by extreme values. If a NO3 or NO2 value was unattainable a value of 0 mg/g was assigned to the food or beverage item. Cooking methods such as baked, blanched, boiled, broiled, cooked, fried, microwaved, raw and steamed were reported when relevant and available.
Type 2 Diabetes Can Be A ‘devastating Diagnosis’ Says Expert
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Diabetes is a lifelong condition characterised by unruly blood sugar. It is present in those whose body lacks or fails to respond to insulin – a hormone that allows sugar to be taken up by cells. Prevention and early treatment are key to warding off the myriad complications linked to the disease. One drink, which can lower blood sugar levels within 15 minutes of intake, may have strong protective effects against diabetes.
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How To Use Beetroot To Manage High Blood Pressure Or Hypertension
One of the best ways to manage hypertension through beetroots is to juice the veggie. The book ‘Healing Foods’ suggests that the juice can lower blood pressure within an hour of drinking. Regular intake can lower the risk of heart disease. You could also toss the pink delight into healthy salads especially combine it with carrots to see more effective results.
Disclaimer: This content including advice provides generic information only. It is in no way a substitute for qualified medical opinion. Always consult a specialist or your own doctor for more information. NDTV does not claim responsibility for this information.
Presence Of No3 Bacteria
A tongue scraping was collected from each participant during their first visit following an oral examination to ensure there were no signs of any mouth infections. The scrapings were performed using a disposable acrylic spatula from the posterior region of the tongue and were collected into sterile disposable pipette . Samples were transferred into 6 mL of NO3 rich medium and incubated for 54 h at 37 °C, 95% humidity and 5% CO2. To ensure a similar inoculum size, the weight gain of the broth was kept constant at approximately 10 µg.
Following incubation, 1 mL of the NO3 broth was extracted through a Puradisc 25 Polyethersulfone 0.2 µm sterilizing grade filter to ensure that any bacteria were eliminated. Content of the syringe was then emptied into separate 500 µL aliquots and immediately frozen at 80 °C for later analysis of NO3. The levels of NO3 in the medium were analysed before and after incubation. Reductions in NO3 levels are expressed as a percentage change , in order to determine the presence of NO3 reducing bacteria. All the NO3 analyses are described in more detail in .
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