Could beetroot be a useful way to lower blood pressure?
Although it is well known that diets rich in fruits and vegetables reduce the risk of cardiovascular events, the mechanism by which this happens has been obscure. One way in which nitrate rich foods such as green leafy vegetables protect the heart could be through the action of bacteria on the tongue interacting with saliva in the mouth which have the ability to convert inert nitrate in vegetables into bioactive nitrite. Bioactive nitrite is able to reduce blood pressure, reduce platelet activation and reduce endothelial ischaemia and reperfusion injury. Nitrates are extremely useful as agents that open blood vessels. Put under the tongue or via a patch, they are used to treat angina. Their vasodilator properties are useful in reducing blood pressure. Proof that this occurs comes from now from fresh evidence, published in the March 2008 issue of Hypertension, that by drinking beet juice you may be able to reduce your blood pressure. Normal volunteers with a normal blood pressure, consu
