Beetroot Juice: The Answer For Blood Pressure Problems?

We are bombarded with health information every day on the importance of keeping a balanced level to blood pressure. As a society we are in an eternal search for natural and holistic elements that can be of assistance in keeping our blood pressure in check. New study results are showing that Beetroot juice may offer an alternative choice in a natural way for our blood pressure problems.

Pharmaceutical companies have made an incredible increase to their margins with the over prescribing of their cash cow blood pressure medications. All of these medications may be backed by the medical community and your personal physician, but the side effects that these meds cause can sometimes outweigh the benefits from the meds themselves.

Beet is a well known perennial flowering plant that offers roots and leaves that are consumed by both animals and humans. Beets are an incredible source of vitamins C and A as well as iron, various beneficial minerals, dietary fiber and carotenoids. The red color of the beet is due to a natural pigment called betalin. Consuming beets may allow the pigment to color the urine in a pinkish tone (referred to a beeturia) in around ten to fourteen percent of the human population. According to The American Academy of Pediatrics, beets should not be fed to infants under three months of age due to the high nitrate content, which can cause nitrate poisoning. Breast feeding mothers should also take caution in consuming beets.

Researchers have conducted some studies that may show beetroot juice effects on cholesterol, blood sugar and blood pressure levels. While more studies must be conducted, it appears that the sugar in beet fiber may actually slightly lower the systolic level of blood pressure in those patients studied that had type 2 diabetes.

There were two individual studies to test and evaluate the results of beetroot juice on blood pressure. People that had a normal blood pressure level were selected in a random choice to drink various levels of beetroot juice; from 0 grams to 500 grams of beetroot juice. The other alternate choice was to consume a bread product (controlled content) that contained from absolutely no beetroot juice all the way to 100 grams of beetroot juice, white variety. The levels of blood pressure were measured over a 24 hour time period and the levels of nitrate in the urine were measured before, during and after the treatment in 2, 4 and 24 hour increments.

The results of the preliminary study showed that the consumption of beetroot juice led to a significant lower of blood pressure over a 24-hour time period. The results made note that the lowering of blood pressure was almost completely dependent upon the quantity of beetroot juice that was consumed. The researchers also found that the consumption of the bread products containing both the white and red beetroot juice led to a significant reduction in blood pressure. The red beetroot juice bread product led to a significant reduction in nitrate levels in the urine in the post consumption test, however, this did not seem to be the case in the white beetroot juice bread product.

Sources:
http://naturalstandard.com/news/news201204030.asp

The information supplied in this article is not to be considered as medical advice and is for educational purposes only.