A Daily Cup of Beetroot Juice May Significantly Reduce Blood Pressure
Patients with high blood pressure who consume 250 mL of beetroot juice daily reported an average decrease of 8/4 mm Hg in blood pressure. Note: Each 2 mm Hg increase in blood pressure increases the likelihood of death from heart disease by 7% and stroke by 10%.
For the double-blind phase 2 clinical trial, researchers monitored 64 patients (ages 18-85). Half of the participants had failed to reach their target blood pressure after being prescribed anti-hypertensive drugs, while the other half reported high blood pressure, but were not yet taking any medications.1,2
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Participants were monitored for 2 weeks prior to and post a 4-week dietary supplement study in which half of the patients were randomly assigned 250 mL of beetroot juice (dietary nitrate), while the other half received a placebo in the form of 250 mL of nitrate-free beetroot juice.1,2
Participants in the beetroot juice group reported a 20% improvement in blood vessel dilation capacity and a 10% reduction in arterial stiffness. In the 2-weeks post supplementation, when the group no longer consumed beetroot juice, the blood pressure returned to previous high levels.
There were no reported changes to blood pressure, blood vessel function, or arterial stiffness among the placebo group.
“These findings are exciting because we’ve now tested the effectiveness of dietary nitrate in reducing blood pressure in 64 patients, over a sustained period of time, and found it works. Plus it’s so easy for patients to work this into their daily lives and see a positive benefit,” said Amrita Ahluwalia, BSc, lead author of the study and a professor of vascular pharmacology at Queen Mary University of London.1
In comparison, a single hypertensive drug reduces blood pressure by 9/5 mm Hg. Therefore, dietary nitrate may be an affordable and easy treatment to manage blood pressure without medication.
The complete study is published in the January issue of Hypertension.
-Michelle Canales
References:
1. Queen Mary University of London. Daily beetroot juice lowers blood pressure, scientists find [press release]. January 19, 2015. www.qmul.ac.uk/media/news/items/smd/146262.html. Accessed January 20, 2015.
2. Kapil V, Khambata RS, Robertson A, et al. Dietary nitrate provides sustained blood pressure lowering in hypertensive patients. Hypertension. 2015 January [epub ahead of print] doi: 10.1161/HYPERTENSIONAHA.114.04675.