We saw a headline that interested us on many fronts. For years now, we have warned people against drinking fruit juice. We often say that, as it lacks fiber, it’s essentially just sugar water. It can spike blood sugar the same way soda can, and should generally be avoided. But research is praising beet juice for its ability to aid blood pressure.
The headline was a headscratcher. Beet juice isn’t something most people drink. Beets aren’t a very popular vegetable in the U.S., and their juice certainly isn’t widely available. But researchers in England, where beets are enjoyed as a side dish more frequently, had people drink shots of concentrated beet juice twice a day for two weeks. The researchers at the Univ. of Exeter were testing if a diet high in nitrates can reduce blood pressure. They found that when older people drank the shots, their blood pressure went down. It didn’t impact younger people.
The nitrates in beet juice can suppress potentially harmful oral bacteria. The researchers believe the beet juice lowered blood pressure by suppressing the bacteria. That helped blood vessel health. The older people in the study had noticeably lower harmful oral bacteria while drinking beet juice. But they didn’t have the same results while drinking a placebo shot.
Study author Prof. Anni Vanhatalo, of the Univ. of Exeter, said, “We know that a nitrate-rich diet has health benefits, and older people produce less of their own nitric oxide as they age. They also tend to have higher blood pressure, which can be linked to cardiovascular complications like heart attack and stroke. Encouraging older adults to consume more nitrate-rich vegetables could have significant long term health benefits. The good news is that if you don’t like beetroot, there are many nitrate-rich alternatives like spinach, rocket, fennel, celery and kale.”
That’s great news, as beet juice isn’t widely available in America, and beets aren’t something most Americans enjoy. We have a team member who is English who likes beets, sings a British song from the 1960s with the lyrics, “But if you like beetroot, I’ll be true to you,” and passionately defends their earthy flavor. But many Americans don’t eat them as a normal part of their diet. They are a healthy, beneficial vegetable, and we have shared recipes for them in the past. You should try them if it’s been a while. But they aren’t for everyone.
Often, confusing headlines can hide good science. Beet juice isn’t the key. But nitrate-dense foods may be a fantastic natural way to aid blood pressure.
Lee Beniston, an associate director of the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council, said the “research is a great example of how bioscience can help us better understand the complex links between diet, the microbiome and healthy aging. By uncovering how dietary nitrate affects oral bacteria and blood pressure in older adults, the study opens up new opportunities for improving vascular health through nutrition.”
