Most vegetables are so inconspicuous in appearance that you do not think of them as having life altering powers. Beet root is one such vegetable. According to a study published in the American Heart Association's Hypertension journal, drinking beet juice is the natural and effective way to lower high blood pressure quickly and to help prevent cardiovascular problems.
This miraculous vegetable, which is also known as table beet, garden beet, red beet or just plain beet, contains betaine which reduces the concentration of homocycsteine in the blood. Homocycsteine is usually linked with heart disease and stroke.

Beet root juice is equivalent in its effect on blood pressure to nitrate tablets. This was found in two studies, both conducted by British scientists at the Queen Mary University of London. The research team observed that beet juice can lower blood pressure within 24 hours because of the presence of the organic form of nitrate in it. Amrita Ahluwalia, Professor of Vascular Biology at Queen Mary's William Harvey Research Institute and the author of the study, said that the beneficial effects of beet on the cardiovascular system were due to the increased levels of nitric oxide in the circulation, which is a type of biological messenger in the body. These levels increased because of nitrate presence in beet. Nitric oxide signals smooth muscle tissue to relax, induces vasodilation and increases blood flow, leading to a lower blood pressure.

Drinking two cups of beet juice daily can lower blood pressure by approximately 10 points, which is equal to the effect that medication would have on high blood pressure, according to a  study published in HYPERTENSION (March 2008).

The safest way to drink beet juice is to mix it with juices of other vegetables or with apple juice. If you drink beet juice alone, your vocal chords can suffer from temporary paralysis along with other adverse side effects. Drink beet juice only after consulting a physician.

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