Most people know that eating a healthy diet full of fruits, vegetables, and whole grains can help keep you healthy but not many know that beetroot is an amazing natural treatment for high blood pressure. Beetroot has a long history as a natural treatment for high blood pressure but it’s only been in the past few years that researchers have really started to study the benefits of beetroot on high blood pressure. 

If you have high blood pressure, this may be the breakthrough you’ve been looking for.

What Is Beetroot?

Beetroot is a root vegetable, it’s often eaten as a side dish or as a garnish. Beetroot contains a lot of minerals, vitamins, and antioxidants that have been linked to lowering blood pressure. Beetroot has been used for centuries to treat a wide range of ailments, including high blood pressure. The root contains antioxidants that help prevent oxidative stress, which is one of the main causes of high blood pressure. Beetroot also has the ability to increase nitric oxide levels in the body, which can help relax blood vessels and lower blood pressure.

What is high blood pressure?

High blood pressure (also known as hypertension) is a medical condition in which your blood pressure is higher than normal. If blood pressure is too high, it puts extra strain on blood vessel, heart and other organs, such as the brain, kidneys and eyes. Persistent high blood pressure can increase the risk of a number of serious and potentially life-threatening conditions, such as heart disease, hear attack, stroke, kidney disease and vascular dementia, and it’s also a leading cause of premature death worldwide.

High blood pressure is a common illness, with studies showing that one in three Malaysian adults have this disease. It's a major challenge in terms of public health, and is the main cause of illnesses like heart attacks, heart failure, and even strokes. There are a number of risk factors associated with high blood pressure, including an unhealthy lifestyle and diet, low potassium levels, lack of exercise, consumption of certain medications, and even family history.

Reducing high blood pressure, even small amount can help lower the risk of this condition.

Why beetroot is  effective in reducing blood pressure

The reason beetroot is so effective in reducing blood pressure is because it contains a compound called nitrate. This compound can be found naturally in many foods including celery, cabbage and some leafy greens like spinach and lettuce.

The main difference beetroot has over these other foods is that it converts this nitrate into nitric oxide. This is what has been shown to lower blood pressure and why it has been a part of traditional medicine for thousands of years.

A glass of beetroot juice daily could lower blood pressure by about 7%, according to new research. Tests suggest that the effect is produced by nitrates contain in beetroot. High-nitrate foods trigger a series of chemical reactions in the blood, which can increase oxygen in areas of the body where there is insufficient supply. The beetroot juice used in the study contains about 0.2g of dietary nitrate, which is roughly the same as you would get from eating two or three beetroot.