Beetroot Brings Down the Blood Pressure

According to a recent study conducted by British scientists, a cup of beetroot juice a day helps bring down the blood pressure. The results were published in the American Heart Association’s journal Hypertension.

The researchers studied vegetables that are rich in nitrates, that is, beetroot, lettuce, fennel, and cabbage. These vegetables draw nitrates from the soil. Scientists say that when nitrates get into the body, they turn into nitrogen oxide which results in relaxing of the blood vessels and a lower blood pressure.

The study involved volunteers with the blood pressure between 140 and 160 who were taking no medication to bring down their blood pressure. During the day they drank a glass of juice or ate 2 beetroots in a salad. Then they had their blood pressure read. It was discovered that the arterial pressure came down by 10 points.