The Intake of 1 cup of beetroot juice may result in the lowering of blood pressure levels, according to a new study. Scientists from the UK looked at eight women and seven men who were healthy enough, but had high blood pressure levels for the study.
The study had revealed the fact that there was a considerable fall in systolic and diastolic pressure in people who drank beetroot juice, as compared to those that consumed a placebo. Systolic refers to the higher number, whereas the lower number is known as Diastolic and they especially indicate the pressure in the arteries when the heart beats. A reading of 120/80 was recorded as normal blood pressure levels.
The effect of beetroot juice could really be felt three to six hours after it was consumed and it lasted for around 24 hours. This change takes place due to the presence of nitrate in beetroot juice, which gets converted into nitrite and later into nitric oxide, a gas known especially to widen blood vessels, helping in blood flow.
The participants consumed 250 ml of the juice, which contained 0.4 mg of dietary nitrate and their BP levels were monitored for the next 3 to 4 hours. The experiment proved successful, but scientists were not sure whether the intake of beetroot juice will produce long term effects.
