Some natural products have an impressive ability to affect human physiology. Among these are vegetables naturally high in nitrate, particularly beets (referred to in England as beetroot). Research shows that drinking beet juice can have health benefits. Some readers have found, to their surprise, that beet juice was better than expected.
Beet Juice Was Better Than Amlodipine:
Q. I have been taking amlodipine for high blood pressure. When I started drinking beet root juice (one cup a day), it lowered my BP too much. So I stopped taking the meds and took beet root juice for three weeks and also went vegan. Yes, I gave up steak.
I’m not saying I cured my hypertension, but my blood pressure is normal now. I still check it every day with two different BP devices. Beet root juice with lots of fruits and veggies in my diet seems to do the job. I also check labels for sodium and stay away from it as much as possible. I’m a 32-year-old Black male also living with sickle cell disease, and I feel great.
A. Thanks so much for sharing your experience with beet root juice (BRJ). A review of research reveals that consuming BRJ can increase the production of nitric oxide in the blood vessels (Antioxidants, July 22, 2022). This lowers blood pressure and improves blood flow.
Drinking Beet Juice to Lower Blood Pressure:
Q. Despite being on medication for high blood pressure it remained high. My doctor recommended a blood pressure monitor. I was really surprised at how high the readings were.
My late mother suffered from hypertension and had three strokes before she died. Needless to say, I was really worried. The anxiety made the BP even higher.
Recently, I started drinking beet root juice each day. It has brought my evening blood pressure reading down considerably. Previously, that had been really high. I would certainly recommend beet root juice.
A. Thank you for the excellent suggestion. There is a surprising amount of research on the benefits of beet juice to lower blood pressure. A study in the British Journal of Clinical Pharmacology (Feb. 2021) found that combining grapefruit juice with beet root juice enhanced the blood-pressure lowering effect.
Beet Juice Beat Lisinopril, Too:
Q. I was on lisinopril for a few years to control my blood pressure, but it made me cough and feel dizzy. At times my ankles swelled, and I thought the drug might be to blame.
For a surgical procedure, I was told to drop my supplements and keep taking the lisinopril. My blood pressure was higher, but it dropped again after I started back on calcium and magnesium. That demonstrated that the drug offered only modest benefit for me.
In looking for alternatives, I read about beetroot. Gradually, I substituted beetroot capsules for the lisinopril. Along with the mineral supplements, beetroot controls my blood pressure as well as lisinopril, with no dizziness, no cough and no swollen ankles.
A. Lisinopril is the most popular blood pressure medication in the pharmacy, but it can cause an unpleasant cough and dizziness. Ankle swelling might be a symptom of kidney problems.
Beets and their juice contain natural nitrates. Many studies have shown that these can lower blood pressure (Advances in Nutrition, Nov. 7, 2017). Both calcium and magnesium have also been shown to lower blood pressure (Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, Jan. 11, 2022; Kardiologia Polska, Aug. 25, 2020).
You can learn more about the effects of beetroot extract and other non-drug approaches to controlling hypertension in our eGuide to Blood Pressure Solutions.
Other Readers Have Had Success with Beet Juice:
Q. I took hydrochlorothiazide (HCTZ) to control my blood pressure for 10 years, but then I developed a bad rash as a side effect. So with my doctor’s help I was able to discontinue the medicine.
I have been exercising much more and watching my weight. Most importantly, I have been juicing a raw beet every day to lower my blood pressure. I drink from ¼ cup to ½ cup daily, depending on the size of the beet.
I now have my blood pressure down to what it was 15 years ago, though I have been off meds for more than a year. At first I was also taking hawthorn berry extract, but beets are cheaper!
Research Supports Juicing Beets:
A. Your experience dovetails beautifully with the results from a British study (Kapil et al, Hypertension, Feb., 2015).
The scientists had 64 people with elevated blood pressure drink a glass of beet juice every morning for a month. Half the group got regular beet juice, rich in vegetable nitrate, while the other half got beet juice with the nitrate removed–a placebo. The dose was 250 ml per day, approximately a cup.
Blood pressure dropped in the folks getting the full-nitrate beet juice (8 points systolic). That’s even more than if they had been taking HCTZ (6.5 systolic).
The investigators wrote:
“We have demonstrated that the [beet juice] intervention is well tolerated, safe, and is associated with robust BP [blood pressure] reductions measured in and out of clinic.”
Other Studies on Beetroot for Hypertension:
This study is by no means the only one. PubMed lists at least two dozen publications on the effects of this intervention. Most agree that beets’ high level of nitrate contributes to nitric oxide in the blood vessels (d’El-Rei et al, International Journal of Hypertension, online March 21, 2016; Omar et al, Journal of Internal Medicine, April 2016). Nitric oxide helps the lining of the blood vessels relax, and that lowers blood pressure.
Raw beetroot juice appears to be slightly more effective than cooked beets (Asgary et al, Journal of Human Hypertension, Oct. 2016). Moreover, juice has higher levels of antioxidants, nitrites and nitrates than most dietary supplements made from beetroot (Foods, Feb. 27, 2023).
Who Benefits Most from Beets?
The beneficial effects of beets on blood pressure is more noticeable in people with uncontrolled hypertension (Kerley et al, Irish Journal of Medical Science, online Jan. 3, 2017). That may help explain some inconsistencies in the medical literature (Bondonno et al, American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, Aug. 2015).
How Does Beetroot Stack Up Against Other Natural Approaches?
A review in the Pakistan Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences (Jan. 2018) reviewed a number of nondrug approaches to controlling blood pressure.
The authors describe their analysis:
“Worldwide, hypertension is estimated to cause 7.5 million deaths, about 12.8% of the total of all deaths. This accounts for 57 million disability adjusted life years (DALYS) or 3.7% of total DALYS. This led WHO to set a target of 25% reduction in prevalence by 2025. To reach that, WHO has adopted non-conventional methods for the management of hypertension? Despite worldwide popularity of such non-conventional therapies, only small volume of evidence exists that supports its effectiveness. This review attempted to make a critical appraisal of the evidence, with the aim to (1) describe the therapeutic modalities frequently used, and (2) review the current level of evidence attributable to each modality.”
What Did They Find?
“The followings were found to have weak or no evidence: fish oil, yoga, vitamin D, monounsaturated fatty acid, dietary amino-acids, and osteopathy. Those found to have significant reduction in blood pressure are: magnesium, qigong, melatonin, meditation, vitamin C, chiropractic, folate, inorganic nitrate, beetroot juice [emphasis ours] and L-arginine.”
The authors concluded:
“Results from this review suggest that certain non-conventional therapies may be effective in treating hypertension and improving cardiac function and therefore considered as part of an evidence-based approach.”
Beets are not the only vegetables to help control hypertension. Greens such as arugula, lettuce or spinach can also be helpful. To learn more about other nondrug approaches as well as pharmaceuticals, you may wish to read our eGuide to Blood Pressure Solutions. This electronic resource is available in the Health eGuides section of this website.
Beet Juice Lemonade!
We have had the chance to taste low-sugar lemonade with beet juice in it. It was a beautiful ruby color and it tasted delicious! Some people find the sweet taste of beet juice off-putting. The lemons counteract that flavor.
A simple way to do this would be to add 1 cup of beet juice to 8 cups of your favorite lemonade. That, however, might be too sweet. Here is our do-it-yourself approach:
- Put 1 small to medium-sized peeled chopped beet in a blender with 3 T water.
- Dissolve 1/2 cup sugar in 6 cups of water. Do this in a pan on a stove over medium heat. Let the sugar solution cool completely.
- Squeeze the juice from 3 lemons. Add it to the sugar solution.
- Strain the blended beet juice into the lemonade solution. Chill before serving.
This recipe can also be found in our eGuide to Blood Pressure Solutions.
