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Beetroot juice may beat high blood pressure
The Romans reportedly used beetroot for treating fevers and constipation. During the Middle Ages, the vegetable was favored for curing digestive and blood disorders. Today, science is catching up with ancient and historic practices. Researchers have found that beetroot juice can lower blood pressure in people with hypertension.
The body takes the nitrate found in beets and changes it into nitric oxide, a natural chemical in the body. Nitric oxide is known to have a beneficial effect on the lining inside blood vessels. It causes the vessels to open up, thereby improving blood flow and lowering pressure says Dr. Marc Silver, a heart failure specialist at Advocate Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn, Ill.
During the six week study, patients on drug therapy for high blood pressure and individuals not currently taking medication, were divided into two treatment groups, with one group receiving beetroot juice and the other a placebo juice.
Researchers found that those drinking the beetroot juice had reduced blood pressure measurements just one week after begging the study. During the final week of the study, the participants’ blood pressure was at their lowest point.
“The drop in blood pressure among study participants consuming beetroot juice was as good or better as the results we see from standard blood pressure medications,” says Dr. Silver. “The study demonstrates that use of dietary nitrate can be an affordable and readily available adjunct to traditional treatment for high blood pressure.”
Do you know your risk for heart disease? Take our heart risk assessment here. If you are at high risk, see one of Advocate Heart Institute’s cardiologists within 24 hours.
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