Beetroot helps to Beats Hypertension in a Natural Way

“Hypertension” in a common man’s language is called as “High Blood Pressure”. The arteries carry blood from the heart to the different parts of the body. These arteries are like express highways that facilitate blood transmission in body. The measure of the force of the blood against the wall of the arteries is called “Blood Pressure (BP)”. In some place the arteries become too narrow for the smooth blood flow due to certain reasons. It is in these regions that the pressure goes up for the blood to flow through that part.

‘Hypertension’ is one of the most common disorders prevalent in the World. ‘Hypertension’ is further classified into “Essential Hypertension” and the “Secondary Hypertension”.

Hypertension Leads to Health Problems

Hypertension might occur due to the prevalence of other diseases such as kidney problems, diabetes and due to the occurrence of certain tumours in different parts of the body. It is the persistent hypertension which leads to life threatening condition such as sudden heart attack, strokes and arterial aneurysm. Hypertension is a leading cause of chronic renal failure too.

Causes and Medication

Some of the medical causes of hypertension are salt sensitivity, genetics, insulin resistance, rennin homeostasis and age. Hypertension alone is rarely severe enough to cause symptoms. These surfaces only when the systolic blood pressure is above 240 mm Hg and the diastolic blood pressure being 120 mmHg.

Hypertension alone can be reduced by medicines such as the antihypertensive, which acts by lowering blood pressure. When exercise and changes in lifestyle cannot control hypertension one needs to take resort to medicines and diet along with it. Medicines taken for lowering blood pressure should be judiciously eaten with the right dosage and at the right time. Reduction in smoking and avoidance of alcohol often helps in the reduction of blood pressure to some extent. It is estimated that 25 percent of the world’s population suffer from hypertension related diseases and it is forecasted to increase to 29 percent by the year 2025.

Beetroot Juice: A Miraculous Discovery for Reducing Hypertension

Hypertension causes around 50 percent of the coronary heart disease and it is also the prime responsible factor for causing approximately 75 percent of strokes. However a miraculous research study exhibits that it is the daily consumption of the “beetroot juice” which can reduce hypertension to a surprisingly low level.

About the New Research

It is the research study at the ‘Barts and London School of Medicine’ which revealed that a daily glass of 500 ml of beetroot juice can reduce the dangers related to heart to a great extent. The study published in February 2008 in the ‘American Heart Association Journal’ reveals that beetroot juice can have a large impact for the treatment of cardiovascular diseases.

According to the research by Prof Amrita Ahluwalia from the ‘William Harvey Research Institute of Barts’ and the ‘London School of Medicine’ along with Professor Ben Benjamin of ‘Peninsula Medical School’, it is suggested that the ingestion of nitrate contained in the beetroot juice and green leafy vegetables can lead to some spectacular reduction in hypertension.

Research Findings

According to the findings of their research study, the nitrates as a natural alternative have a positive impact on reduction of blood pressure levels. Nitrates are a salt of Nitric acid which is an essential plant nutrient food in the soil and is considered as an important nitrogen source. Thus, nitrate is a natural component that is present in all the vegetables, fruits and cereals.

Further, the research study shows that within 3-4 hrs of ingestion of nitrate from the beetroot juice the level of the blood pressure falls significantly. It is due to the chemical formation of nitrite from the dietary nitrate that reduces blood pressure. The nitrate in the juice gets broken down by the bacteria in the saliva into nitrite. It is only after the swallowing of the nitrite-containing saliva that the nitrite gets converted into nitric oxide through the acidic reaction in the stomach or re enters the circulation as nitrite. The peak time of reduction in the blood pressure was correlated with the peak time of nitrite in the blood circulation.

The researchers recruited approximately 14 health volunteers and requested them to drink 500 ml of beetroot juice during 30 minutes. For each of these volunteers the blood pressure was taken in successive periods. Blood pressure was measured in an interval of every 15 minute for one hour before consuming the beet root juice and three hours after consuming the beet root juice again. The degree of reduction in blood pressure could still be observed up to 24 hours of ingestion.

These research studies together with the known fact that the plasma nitrite and not nitrate concentration correlated with the decrease in blood pressure indicates that nitrite is a definite functional mediator of the beetroot juice effect on the lowering of hypertension. It is still a gray area as to how nitrite mediates blood pressure reduction but it has been understood that the nitrite can act as a potent vasodilator to improve blood circulation. Research and further studies are making inroads into this area now.
According to the researcher and professor Amrita Ahluwalia, drinking beetroot juice or nitrate-rich vegetable is one of the most in expensive and ready to use therapy to reduce hypertension. The nitrate content in the green leafy vegetables such as spinach and lettuce can help significantly in maintain the health of the blood vessels. This might not be surprising as past studies have discovered that the DASH (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension) diet can reduce blood pressure.

Nitrate supplement does reduce the diastolic blood pressure by 3.7 mmHg. It does not have much impact on the systolic blood pressure. The foods high in nitrates other than beetroot are lettuce, spinach, cabbage, carrots and radishes. So it is advisable to reduce the fatty acids in the diet and supplement it with fruits and vegetables which are essential for a healthy living and strong immune system.

Future Research Prospects and Visions

As of now, the research and the study is being directed and getting focussed on whether the dietary nitrate will be effective as well as what should be the correct volume of the beetroot juice to have a positive impact on hypertension. Research is on going for lowering the volume of beetroot juice and then to study its impact on hypertension. Researchers are also making further attempts to find innovative techniques that would be of immense help in designing future therapies for treating hypertension with a variety of beetroot juice applications.

Research Occlusions

All these research findings have been successful in establishing the health benefits of ‘beetroot juice’. It is one of the most inexpensive and easy way to combat hypertension. So, an intake of a glass of the ‘ beetroot juice’ every day will always keep you away from hypertension and all other related health problems and will help you lead a good quality and healthy life.

Articles published in here are unique and property of the site only. Copying Content or Publishing Article from AllinfoDir HealthInfo is strictly not allowed and against Site’s policy.