Study says beetroot juice beats high blood pressure

In a British study, 100 per cent of people suffering from acute high blood pressure saw it go down significantly within hours of drinking a cup of beetroot juice. Importantly, blood pressure remained lower up to 24 hours later.

The research, funded by the British Heart Foundation, was led by Amrita Ahluwalia, professor of vascular biology at the William Harvey Research Insti-tute (Barts Hospital, London), and has been published in Hypertension, the American Heart Association’s journal.

A sample of eight women and seven men with systolic blood pressures varying from 140 to 159mm Hg were given 250 ml of organic beetroot juice in a double blind crossover trial, using a placebo (a depleted nitrate beetroot juice made especially for the project).

An average reduction of 10mmHg was recorded in those drinking the nitrate-rich juice, with both systolic and diastolic blood pressures being lowered. The effect was most pronounced three to six hours after drinking the juice.

The results will be particularly welcomed by people with high blood pressure who prefer to use natural products to control the condition. High blood pressure has been linked with cardiovascular disease – the world’s biggest killer – a cause of strokes and heart attacks.

The beetroot juice supplied had a naturally high nitrate content. The research has clearly identified that this nitrate level is the reason it is so effective at lowering blood pressure.