Q. You have written about beet juice to lower blood pressure, but I have never been able to find the juice in a store. Do supermarkets carry it? I have noticed that canned sliced beets really vary in sodium content, so people with hypertension should be wary.
A. We are fascinated by the British research indicating that a glass of beet juice can lower blood pressure for several hours (Hypertension, March 2008). In a later study, the same team found that this effect is more pronounced in men, especially those with higher blood pressure to begin with (Hypertension, Aug., 2010).
It is not easy to find beet juice in the average supermarket. One reader found this solution:
“Biotta brand beet juice can be purchased in 16-ounce bottles. We get it by the case from our health food cooperative market.
“We drink a glass several times a week. I don’t really like beets, but the juice is so delicious I love it. Be aware that it colors your urine and stool red! Thank goodness someone warned me of this when I made the first purchase, or it would have alarmed me.”
Beet juice is not the only natural product that can help control hypertension. We discuss many others in our Guide to Blood Pressure Treatment.
