Drinking This Juice Could Help Lower Blood Pressure, New Study Suggests

Dietitian Jessica Ball, MS, RD examined by RD

Lock points

• A new study suggests that beet juice can help reduce blood pressure by changing your oral microbiome.

• Beet is rich in nitrates known to affect blood pressure.

• Other foods in nitrates are found in spinach, celery, fennel and cabbage.

High blood pressure, also known as hypertension, is quite common and almost half of all adults in the United States have a condition. High blood pressure is defined as a systolic blood pressure (highest number at blood pressure) or a large diastolic blood pressure (low number at blood pressure) greater than 80 mm hg) greater than 130 mm HG.

However, the widespread hypertension does not mean that it is benign. Having high blood pressure, especially if not controlled, placed you higher Heart disease and risk of strokeThe leading causes of death both in the United States and globally.

Since hypertension is very common, researchers are looking for practical ways to help people reduce blood pressure for years, which includes dietary methods. Some of these studies have led to beets containing nitrates that can help reduce blood pressure. While there is evidence of assembly Connection of beets with healthier blood pressureResearchers always dig more in depth.

In case: Researchers from Exeter University in the UK Beet juice changed the oral microbiomeAnd if so, whether these changes have anything to do with the changes in blood pressure. They published their findings in the magazine Free Radical Biology and Pharmaceuticals. Let’s break down what they found.

How was this work done?

The researchers hired two groups of participants. 36 older adults, 65 to 80 years old and 18 to 30 years of age, a group of 42 young adults, all participants were initially healthy at normal blood pressure levels, but the older group had higher the average of the younger group.

There were three interventions for this study. Before and after each intervention, the participants went to the laboratory to extinguish their mouths, so the researchers oral microbiomes– Good and bad bacteria living in our mouths. They also took blood work and blood pressure measurements. Among each intervention, there was a two -week “washing” period that allowed the oral microbioma to return to “normal”.

For the first intervention, the participants were instructed to drink two concentrated beet juice One day, one in the morning, evening, evening, “shooting” for two weeks. Each shot was 70 ml of beet juice, which was equal to about ⅓ cup. They did the same thing for the second intervention, but with a placebo beet juice that is stripped of natural nitrates – the participants are not aware of it. The third intervention included participants who boiled with an antiseptic mouthwash twice a day.

What did this work find?

Researchers, Nitrate beet juice It changed oral microbiomas in both groups for better, reduced harmful bacteria and increased beneficial bacteria. However, changes in certain bacteria vary between groups.

The elderly group experienced a decrease in potentially harmful bacteria Preface An increase in the growth of bacteria that are known to benefit health after drinking fruit juice rich in nitrate; These changes were more prominent in the old group than the young group and did not occur with placebo juice.

The elderly adults in this study initially had an average of 126/80 blood pressure, which was higher than the average initial blood pressure of the young group, but the older group’s initial nitrite blood concentrations were no different from the young group. However, there was no significant change in blood pressure or blood nitrite concentration during the study, while the elderly group found an average decrease in 7 mm HG systolic blood pressure and an increase in blood nitrite concentration. This decrease in systolic blood pressure is clinically significant, which means that benefits can extend to reducing other risks, including heart disease and stroke.

As in any study, although these participants report that they are 100% dependent on the study protocol, there is a risk of researcher error and participant amendment. This study was also financed by the Industrial Partnership Awards of Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC), which supports cooperation between academic research groups and industries. In this case, cooperation can be between researchers and company that provides beet juice. Although this has the potential to cause prejudice to work and its consequences, this study supports previous research on beet and blood pressure.

How does this applies to real life?

If you are one of the 120 million US adults with high blood pressure – or if you want to prevent the situation – there are a few things you can. To contain beet and beet juice It can help on your day. And of course, we have many surprising beet recipes, including us. Beet salad– Ginger juice And Balsamic-Rosemary Melting Beet.

If you are not a beet fan, high foods in nitrates contain spinach, cabbage, fennel and celery. And we have many delicious recipes including these plants – like us Wild rice, shrimp and fennel soup or ours Chicken Spring Green SoupThere are both celery and spinach.

Here is: we don’t typically eat food alone, and your entire eating model is more important than wanting a food. That’s why these work writers Mediterranean dietBecause it is naturally full of foods that contain the richness of nitrates and other basic nutrients. To start, we have several Mediterranean diet plans, including supporters. Healthy blood pressure. Start with us 7 -day high -protein Mediterranean food plan for high blood pressureor if you want more, ours 30 -day Mediterranean diet plan for high blood pressure.

Other Lifestyle habits also affect blood pressure. This contains physical activity, sleep and stress. Too much sodium is linked to high blood pressure and to drink too much alcohol. Equal Disinformed can increase your blood pressureSo try drinking enough water every day.

Our Expert

This study can help lower blood pressure of beet juice and a Connection between beet juice, blood pressure and microbiome of your mouth– Potentially reducing harmful inflammatory bacteria. Nitrates are found in many plants including beets, spinach, cabbage, fennel and celery.

By taking All health view of blood pressure It means thinking about your diet, physical activity, stress and sleep. Choose an area you are successful in and start working on today. Although changes are not overnight, small changes and healthy habits can provide useful benefits for your heart health.

Read the original article Yeghwell