Beets for High Blood Pressure – Are They Worth It?

Welcome back!

There have been several new articles about how beets (more specifically, beet juice)can help with high blood pressure. In a British study, subjects given 2 cups of beet juice lowered their blood pressure by as much as 10 points.

Great News!

Beets contain nitrates, which convert to nitric oxide, a substance that dilates blood vessels. One researcher from the study 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”.

Not So Great News

Upon further exploration of nitrates, I found another site ( The Food and Fertilizer Technology Center) which states that the prolonged intake of high levels of nitrate is linked to gastric problems. And such compounds have been found to cause cancer in animals. Nitrates also form free radicals in the body – a major component of aging.

What To Believe?

Beets me! (Sorry – couldn’t resist) Seriously though, I’m not really sure. Perhaps the nitrate levels the two resources are talking about are vastly different. It seems for every good new research you find, there’s also another stating the opposite. If someone has an answer for this, please share it with us.

Luckily for me, I don’t have high blood pressure and I don’t like beets, either!

The good news is, no one is saying that a diet rich in fruits and vegetables in a wide variety is bad for you — yet.