High blood pressure – or hypertension – is a very common condition many people suffer from. In fact, experts estimate that around 30% of the adult population worldwide suffers from this affliction.
So, it’s no wonder that there are plenty of natural remedies for high blood pressure.
For instance, many people increase their intake of certain foods that contain nutrients and compounds that may have positive effects on their blood pressure. The most common food people choose is beets due to the nutrients they contain.
But how about beet juice? Is it also suitable for high blood pressure and reducing your risk of stroke?
Is Beet Juice Good For High Blood Pressure?
- According to lots of research, drinking beet juice has excellent effects on your blood pressure. In fact, drinking this juice can significantly lower your blood pressure after just a few hours of consumption.
- Beet juice provides you with nitrates that help lower your blood pressure. It’s also loaded with potassium – a mineral that helps keep your blood pressure levels in check while preventing strokes and heart attacks.
So, if you struggle with hypertension, choosing beet juice is an excellent idea.
Beet juice and high blood pressure-A Closer Look
Beet juice contains plenty of nutrients and plant compounds that can help lower your blood pressure and prevent conditions caused by high blood pressure. Juice made from both cooked and raw beets has the same effect on your blood pressure, so you can consume both versions.
Primarily, beet juice contains nitrates and potassium, which help lower your blood pressure.
Can drinking beet juice lower your risk of stroke?
Since beet juice contains nutrients and plant compounds that lower your blood pressure, drinking this vegetable juice also reduces your risk of stroke.
Stroke is closely related to hypertension. So, by lowering your blood pressure and keeping it in check, you decrease your risk of stroke by a lot.
In addition, beets contain many antioxidants, which contribute to a lower risk of several chronic conditions, including hypertension and strokes. So, beet juice makes for a great addition to a healthy, balanced diet.
How does drinking beet juice lower your blood pressure?
Since beet juice is made with beets, it contains the same nutrients that this fresh vegetable does. As a result, beet juice is rich in nitrates, which are compounds that have a positive effect on your blood pressure levels.
Beet juice, especially freshly squeezed, contains a concentrated amount of nitrates, much more than beets on their own. So drinking beet juice is a great idea for people struggling with hypertension.
What’s more, beet juice contains a lot of potassium – about 497 mg, which is 14% of your daily recommended need for this mineral.
Potassium is a micronutrient that helps offset the negative effects of dietary sodium on your blood pressure. Because of that, it lowers your blood pressure, prevents strokes, and reduces your risk of heart attacks.
So, there are plenty of ways that beet juice helps with high blood pressure.
Can drinking beet juice raise your blood pressure?
Drinking beet juice in moderation is very unlikely to raise your blood pressure. This root vegetable contains a lot of nitrates and potassium, which lower your blood pressure and improve the health of your cardiovascular system.
A single one-cup serving of beet juice does contain some sodium, though, which has been linked with a risk of high blood pressure. But it’s not a very high amount.
So, if you drink it in moderation, you shouldn’t worry about any negative side effects.
How should you drink beet juice to lower your blood pressure?
To get the most out of the health benefits of drinking beet juice, you should make it yourself. That way, you can be sure that you’re not getting any additives, consuming too much sodium, or intaking too many calories.
What’s more, it’s a very good idea to include other vegetables that contain nitrates, potassium, and antioxidants in beet juice. If you do that, you can get more out of your beet juice.
Additionally, making your own beet juice allows you to create a larger batch that can last you for up to a week. This can be beneficial for people living busy lives and those trying to save money on grocery shopping.
Is canned beet juice good for high blood pressure?
While canned beet juice is a very convenient form of this type of juice, there are some downsides to choosing it.
Firstly, all canned juices contain a lot of preservatives to make them last longer on grocery store shelves. This can make them more acidic and harmful to people with acid reflux and GERD.
Canned beet juice also contains quite a lot of sodium. So, it’s important to consume it in moderation to avoid raising your blood pressure instead of lowering it.
Because of that, it’s best to drink freshly prepared beet juice.
Is beet green juice good for high blood pressure?
Beet greens are an even better source of potassium and nitrates than beets. Beet greens are classified as leafy greens, which means that they pack a great dose of nutrients with a very small number of calories.
For instance, a one-cup serving of beet greens juice contains about 3504 mg of potassium, which is essentially your whole daily recommended need for this mineral.
On the other hand, beet greens are quite high in sodium. So, it’s important to consume them in moderation and with other vegetables to decrease the amount of sodium you take.
Conclusion
Just like fresh beets, beet juice is an excellent addition to a diet aimed at lowering your blood pressure. It’s a great source of nitrates and potassium, which both keep your blood pressure levels in check.
Through that, drinking beet juice lowers your risk of strokes and heart attacks. As a result, including beet juice in your diet is perfect for people trying to control their blood pressure and reduce the risk of serious health conditions.
Sources: Nutrition Data, PMC, Research Gate, and National Library of Medicine