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One study suggests that drinking beet juice may help improve heart health.
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Researchers have found that drinking juice twice a day can lower blood pressure in older adults.
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These effects appear to come from the relationship between the nitrates in beets, their effects on blood pressure, and the oral microbiome.
According to the American Heart Association, if left untreated, high blood pressure can lead to a host of health problems, ultimately increasing the risk of heart attack, stroke, and heart failure. While medication can help, simple lifestyle changes can also significantly lower blood pressure. So when a study found that drinking beet juice can lower blood pressure, we had to question it. Below, learn what the study found, how cardiologists and registered dietitians interpret the findings, and whether you should start drinking beet juice as part of a heart-healthy lifestyle.
Meet the Experts: Padma Shenoy, MD, a cardiologist at Manhattan Cardiology and LabFinder.com contributor, and Elizabeth Adrian, R.D.N., R.D.N., founder of City to Sea Nutrition.
In a small randomized double-blind crossover study, published in Free Radical Biology and Medicine, Researchers have linked beetroot juice consumption to lower blood pressure in older adults. During three two-week trials (with two weeks between each trial), study participants were asked to drink either nitrate-rich beet juice or a placebo beet juice twice a day, or to rinse their mouths with mouthwash for 30 seconds twice a day, except for the last day, which prompted a final drink or rinse. Beet juice and placebo drinkers did not use mouthwash during designated periods of drinking the juice. Participants were divided into two categories: young people (18 to 30 years old) and older people (67 to 79 years old). Among them were 42 young people and 36 elderly people, for a total of 78 people.
The goal was to analyze how changes in bacteria within the oral microbiome affect blood pressure levels. So researchers have been monitoring both. Participants were not receiving any medications for pulmonary, cardiovascular, or metabolic disease and did not have ulcerative colitis, renal disease, or active oral disease or dentures. Smokers, people with stage 2 hypertension or those who had used antibiotics within three months before the study were also excluded.
Testing begins after fasting overnight and avoiding strenuous exercise, alcohol, and caffeine for 24 hours. Other than drinking their assigned beverages (70 ml of beet juice or placebo in the morning and evening, or 30 seconds of mouthwash twice daily), all other habits of the participants continued normally.
After comparing three trials, researchers concluded that drinking beetroot juice may help lower blood pressure in older adults (no blood pressure-lowering effects were seen in younger groups). This “may be accomplished by changing the composition of the bacteria in the mouth,” says Padma Shenoy, MD, a cardiologist at Manhattan Cardiology and a contributor to LabFinder.com.
More specifically, researchers found that drinking beet juice resulted in “a decrease in certain bacteria, such as Prevotella, and an increase in others, such as Neisseria and Rothia, that are better at converting dietary nitrates into nitric oxide, a compound that helps blood vessels relax,” explains Elizabeth Adrian, a registered dietitian and founder of City to Sea Nutrition.
How does beet juice lower blood pressure?
What seems to be happening in the study is based on the relationship between nitrates, blood pressure, and the oral microbiome. Nitrates are naturally occurring chemicals found in the environment, vegetables, and cured meats. With the help of the bacteria in your mouth mentioned above, dietary nitrates are converted into nitric oxide, which improves heart health by relaxing blood vessels and increasing blood flow, says Dr. Shenoy. In fact, she adds, nitrates are commonly found in medications that control blood pressure. “This is why a diet of nitrate-rich vegetables, such as spinach, arugula and beets, is consistently associated with better blood vessel health,” Adrian concluded.
The question mark behind these findings is the role of the oral microbiome, but it does appear to have a role. “We’re still learning about the link between the oral microbiome and blood pressure, but it’s possible that certain bacteria in the mouth convert nutrients into substances that lower blood pressure,” Dr. Shenoy explains.
You may have heard concerns before about excessive nitrate consumption and the potential cancer risks associated with it. Much of these concerns relate to processed foods (such as deli meats and cheeses) and water sources with added nitrates, which are designed to prevent bacterial growth and improve the taste and color of food. Nitrates naturally found in vegetables are considered safe to eat (nitrates are also found in some of the healthiest foods, such as leafy greens, beets, and celery).
Should you try it?
“According to this study, only older adults experienced a small decrease in blood pressure from drinking beetroot juice, and more research is needed to explore who responds,” Dr Shenoy said. “Eating more vegetables such as beetroot may contribute to heart health, but it’s important to remember that this is only part of a healthy lifestyle. More research is needed to support the strong recommendation to consume beetroot as a blood pressure-lowering therapy.”
While drinking beet juice may not seem to hamper your efforts to lower your blood pressure, Dr. Shenoy stresses that it’s just one tool in your toolbox. “Other components of a heart-healthy lifestyle include a varied diet, limiting sodium intake and regular exercise,” she says. A combination of these healthy choices, plus personalized advice from your doctor, will have the greatest impact on your blood pressure and heart health.
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