A cup of beetroot juice a day can help dramatically reduce blood pressure, British researchers say today.
Experts say that beetroot is rich in nitrate chemicals and the findings suggest that nitrate-rich vegetables could help control blood pressure.
Green leafy vegetables, such as lettuce, are also rich in nitrate.
Researchers at Barts and The London Medical School in London, UK, tested beetroot juice on 15 volunteers who were not taking blood pressure medication.
The volunteers had systolic blood pressure of between 140 to 159 mm Hg, suggesting they needed to take action to reduce it.
The research showed that those who drank beetroot juice enjoyed a 10 point drop in blood pressure levels in the 24 hours after taking the drink.
Researcher Professor Amrita Ahluwalia said: "We were surprised by how little nitrate was needed to see such a large effect.
"This study shows that compared to individuals with healthy blood pressure much less nitrate is needed to produce the kinds of decreases in blood pressure that might provide clinical benefits in people who need to lower their blood pressure."
Professor Peter Weissberg, medical director of the British Heart Foundation, which backed the research, said: "This promising study shows that it may be possible to reduce high blood pressure by eating more foods that contain large quantities of nitrates, such as green vegetables and beetroot.
"It supports current advice that we should all be eating plenty of green veg. But we need larger studies in patients to determine if nitrate-rich vegetables are effective at lowering blood pressure over the long term."
Amrita Ahluwalia, Ph.D et al. Enhanced vasodilator activity of nitrite in hypertension: critical role for erythrocytic xanthine oxidoreductase and translational potential Hypertension 15 April 2013
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