HEALTH
Beetroot juice cuts risk of heart disease,
Water increases alertness, regulates blood pressure
London: Beetroot has long been known for its various health benefits. Now, an Indian origin researcher led study says that drinking its bright-red juice daily could substantially reduce the risk of heart disease and strokes.
A team, led by Amrita Ahluwalia at Queen Mary University in London, has found that beetroot juice contains a chemical, called nitrate, which dramatically reduces blood pressure, and also cuts the risk of heart disease and strokes.
According to researchers, the nitrates which naturally occur in beetroot are the cause of its beneficial effects as they produce a gas known as nitric oxide in the blood which widens blood vessels and arteries and lowers blood pressure.
High blood pressure is a major risk factor for heart disease, stroke and kidney failure. The researchers have based their findings after comparing patients who were given a 250 ml glass of beetroot juice a day with those who took nitrate tablets, the ‘Daily Mail’ reported.
"We showed that beetroot and nitrate capsules are equally effective in lowering blood pressure indicating that it is the nitrate content of beetroot juice that underlies its potential to reduce blood pressure.
We also found that only a small amount of juice is needed-just 250 ml-to have this effect, and that the higher the blood pressure at the start of the study the greater the decrease caused by the nitrate.
Our previous study two years ago found that drinking beetroot juice
A team, led by Amrita Ahluwalia at Queen Mary University in London, has found that beetroot juice contains a chemical, called nitrate, which dramatically reduces blood pressure, and also cuts the risk of heart disease and strokes.
According to researchers, the nitrates which naturally occur in beetroot are the cause of its beneficial effects as they produce a gas known as nitric oxide in the blood which widens blood vessels and arteries and lowers blood pressure.
High blood pressure is a major risk factor for heart disease, stroke and kidney failure. The researchers have based their findings after comparing patients who were given a 250 ml glass of beetroot juice a day with those who took nitrate tablets, the ‘Daily Mail’ reported.
"We showed that beetroot and nitrate capsules are equally effective in lowering blood pressure indicating that it is the nitrate content of beetroot juice that underlies its potential to reduce blood pressure.
We also found that only a small amount of juice is needed-just 250 ml-to have this effect, and that the higher the blood pressure at the start of the study the greater the decrease caused by the nitrate.
Our previous study two years ago found that drinking beetroot juice
lowered blood pressure; now we know how it works," Ahulwalia was quoted as saying.
The findings have been published in the latest edition of the ‘Hypertension’ journal.
The findings have been published in the latest edition of the ‘Hypertension’ journal.
Water increases alertness, regulates blood pressure
Washington: water doesn’t just quench thirst – it can keep you alert and regulate your blood pressure too, says a new study. David Robertson, and colleagues at Vanderbilt University Medical Center first observed this property about 10-years-ago, in patients who had lost their baroreflexes – the system that keeps blood pressure within a normal range.
Water increases the activity of the sympathetic – fight or flight – nervous system, which raises alertness, blood pressure and energy expenditure. American Red Cross found in a study, that drinking 16 ounces of water before blood donation reduced the fainting response by 20 percent. And because it raises sympathetic nervous system activity – and consequently energy expenditure – it does promote weight loss, Robertson said.
Water increases the activity of the sympathetic – fight or flight – nervous system, which raises alertness, blood pressure and energy expenditure. American Red Cross found in a study, that drinking 16 ounces of water before blood donation reduced the fainting response by 20 percent. And because it raises sympathetic nervous system activity – and consequently energy expenditure – it does promote weight loss, Robertson said.
Comments