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There’s an epidemic sweeping the United States, and, no, we aren’t talking about a virus. High blood pressure (aka hypertension) is a huge problem in America. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that nearly 45% of adults are living with high blood pressure, which can lead to numerous other problems if not treated, including heart disease, heart attack, and stroke. Because of the extent of the problem, researchers have been searching for possible solutions. Many medications help reduce high blood pressure, and exercise also helps, but some studies are providing evidence of another solution you may not have heard of: beet juice. One major study published in the February 2015 issue of Hypertension looked into the effectiveness of beet juice in lowering elevated blood pressure. Going into the study, researchers knew beets were high in nitrates, which are converted into nitric oxide when digested. When nitric oxide enters your bloodstream, it relaxes and widens blood vessels, which lowers blood pressure.
In the 2015 study, researchers monitored subjects who drank a cup of beet juice. They saw the subjects’ systolic blood pressure drop by an average of 7.7 points and their diastolic blood pressure drop by an average of 2.4 points. On top of that,
the study also found that beet juice is relatively quick in lowering blood pressure. It does so within a matter of hours, which is a lot faster than a lot of common blood pressure medications, like Lisinopril. (Though Lisinopril, an ACE inhibitor, works very differently than beet juice.) If you suffer from high blood pressure, should you incorporate beet juice into your daily diet? It may be worth considering, but before you do, consult with your primary health care provider, especially if you’re already taking blood pressure medication. You don’t want to consume anything that will impact your blood pressure further without professional guidance. If your blood pressure is moderately or occasionally high, beet juice may be a way to normalize it without medication. If you decide to drink beet juice, keep two things in mind: It will turn your feces and urine red — this is called beeturia and is perfectly normal — and it can stain your teeth over time. Always drink it with a straw and rinse your mouth afterward!
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