Re: [nukkad] Beetroot 'may cut blood pressure'

["Dr.M.C. Gupta" <>]

Thanks, Mackwani sahib.

I have viewed the link. It is good, reliable and informative and potentially
useful. Hence I am reproducing it. BTW, there is no infringement of
copyright involved. The original source itself gives the option of mailing
it to a friend.

M C Gupta

=============

   Beetroot 'may cut blood pressure'
   [image: Beetroot] Root vegetable, and potential lifesaver?
*Drinking 500ml of beetroot juice a day can significantly reduce blood
pressure, UK research suggests.*

The key beneficial ingredient appears to be nitrate, which is also found in
green, leafy vegetables.

The researchers found that in healthy volunteers blood pressure was reduced
within an hour of drinking the juice.

The study, by Barts and the London School of Medicine and the Peninsula
Medical School, could suggest a low-cost way to treat hypertension.

    *Drinking beetroot juice, or consuming other nitrate-rich vegetables,
might be a simple way to maintain a healthy cardiovascular system*
 Professor Amrita Ahluwalia
Barts and The London School of Medicine

Previously the protective effects of vegetable-rich diets have been
attributed to their antioxidant vitamin content.

While it took less than an hour to note a reduction in blood pressure in the
beetroot juice tests, it was more pronounced after three to four hours and a
degree of reduction continued to be observed for up to 24 hours, the report
published on the online journal Hypertension said.

*Saliva breakdown*

The researchers showed that nitrate in the juice is converted in saliva, by
bacteria on the tongue, into nitrite.

This nitrite-containing saliva is swallowed, and in the acidic environment
of the stomach is either converted into nitric oxide or re-enters the
circulation as nitrite.

The peak time of reduction in blood pressure correlated with the appearance
and peak levels of nitrite in the circulation.

No such drop in blood pressure was recorded in a second group of volunteers,
who did not swallow their saliva while drinking beetroot juice, or for three
hours afterwards.

More than 25% of the world's adult population are hypertensive, and it has
been estimated that this figure will increase to 29% by 2025.

Hypertension causes around 50% of coronary heart disease, and approximately
75% of strokes.

In total, cardiovascular disease kills over 110,000 people in England every
year.

Researcher Professor Amrita Ahluwalia said: "Our research suggests that
drinking beetroot juice, or consuming other nitrate-rich vegetables, might
be a simple way to maintain a healthy cardiovascular system, and might also
be an additional approach that one could take in the modern day battle
against rising blood pressure."

Professor Graham McGregor, of the British Hypertension Society, described
the research as "interesting".

He said: "This shows that beetroot juice lowers blood pressure in the short
term in volunteers with normal blood pressure.

"What we need now is research to see whether it has an effect on people with
high blood pressure over a much longer period of time."

Professor McGregor said there was a growing body of work showing that a diet
rich in fruit and vegetables had a beneficial impact on hypertension.

But he said previous research had suggested that potassium may be the key
mineral.

Victoria Taylor, of the British Heart Foundation, said: "Whilst beetroot
juice was used in this study, it is unlikely that people will be able to -
or wish to - consume it in the quantities used in the research.

"Although we know that eating a diet rich in fruit and vegetables as part of
a well balanced diet is beneficial to heart health, we do not know yet
whether there are certain fruits or vegetables that are more helpful than
others and so for now, people should continue to choose a wide variety in
achieving their five a day."



On 2/6/08, "Amir'AliMackwani, અમીર على" <gglnjam@gmail.com> wrote:
>
> *Beetroot 'may cut blood pressure'
> <http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/em/-/1/hi/health/7228420.stm>*
> Drinking 500ml of beetroot juice a day
> can significantly reduce blood pressure,
> research suggests.
>
> The key beneficial ingredient
> appears to be nitrate,
> which is also found in green, leafy vegetables


================================


Prof. M C Gupta
> MD (Medicine), MPH,  LL.M.,
>
> Advocate & Health and Medico-legal Consultant
>
> mcgupta44@gmail.com
> www.writing.com/authors/mcgupta44
> http://mcgupta44.blogspot.com/
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