BEETS, NITRATES AND HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE
YOU CAN LOWER YOUR BLOOD PRESSURE AND HAVE A BETTER MEMORY BY EATING THE RIGHT VEGGIES
I am a firm believer in the power of Nature.
All humans are part of Nature, and over the millions of years that living beings have existed on this planet, a harmony has developed where plants and animals help each other to survive.
Plants produce flowers which attract insects like bees to cause pollination which allows the plants to survive. The insects live off the pollen of the plants. Neither could survive without the other.
Plants produce fruit which harbors seeds. Animals eat the fruit and disseminate the seeds. Both plants and animals benefit.
Humans have high blood pressure which can easily kill them. Plants produce chemicals which will lower the high blood pressure.
THE NITRATE EQUATION
Nitrates are molecules formed by one atom of Nitrogen and three atoms of Oxygen.
These molecules are found in plant bodies. Some plants have more Nitrates than others. The Beet plant root has the largest quantity of nitrates amongst the vegetables consumed by humans. Other vegetables with high nitrate content are the very dark green leafy veggies such as spinach.
When vegetables with Nitrate molecules are consumed, the molecule goes through four steps and is reduced to a different molecule called Nitric Oxide.
Nitric oxide, which is a gas, has a strong effect on the arteries of the body. Nitric Oxide, through a complex chemical reaction, relaxes the smooth muscle cells of the arteries. This relaxation of the muscle cells causes a dilation or widening of the inside of the artery, thereby allowing a larger blood flow.
For this reason Nitrates are used for people who need more blood flow to their heart. Nitroglycerin and other Nitrates
are used for people with Angina or heart disease.
Nitric Oxide is also the molecule produced by Viagra, the famous medication used by men with Erectile Dysfunction.
VASODILATION AND BLOOD PRESSURE
One of the major causes of High Blood Pressure is spasm or contraction of the arteries.
If a person has high blood pressure due to a spasm of the arteries, which may be occasional, due to stress, or constant due to a genetic trait, the Nitrates will help reduce that pressure.
There have been numerous scientific trials which have supported this theory. Recently, a study by a group of doctors who asked that their patients eat larger than normal quantities of Beet Roots, demonstrated a lowering of blood pressure.
BLOOD FLOW TO THE BRAIN
Another recent study showed that in older patients, beet juice increased performance in memory and the ability to perform mental tasks.
Here is an excerpt from Science Daily:
Daily Dose of Beet Juice Promotes Brain Health in Older Adults
ScienceDaily – Researchers for the first time have shown that drinking beet juice can increase blood flow to the brain in older adults — a finding that could hold great potential for combating the progression of dementia.
The research findings are available online in Nitric Oxide: Biology and Chemistry, the peer-reviewed journal of the Nitric Oxide Society and will be available in print soon.
“There have been several very high-profile studies showing that drinking beet juice can lower blood pressure, but we wanted to show that drinking beet juice also increases perfusion, or blood flow, to the brain,” said Daniel Kim-Shapiro, director of Wake Forest University’s Translational Science Center; Fostering Independence in Aging. “There are areas in the brain that become poorly perfused as you age, and that’s believed to be associated with dementia…”
MY RECOMMENDATION
I have told my patients to make a juice from the Beet Root or from Spinach and drink six ounces daily. To my pleasant surprise this method works with many patients–but not all.
Some cases of High Blood Pressure have very severe spasm of the arteries or increased blood volume. In these cases veggies do not work.
If Beet Root juice does not work, see your family doctor.
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Thank you for the tip, I have been using it now and it seems to be working. I mix beets with Celery and carrots so it tastes good. A big glass a day in the morning which is my breakfast, so i am losing weight too!
Great article. Celery certainly works. I have a 120/80 blood pressure, but after a glass of celery my BP drops almost instantly by 10 points.
My personal favorite to lower BP is 30grams of pure whey protein isolate in a glass of water every morning.
This is very important…
Most people are unaware that very low blood pressure
prolongs life and prevents aging.
The Sea Turtle lives the longest of any animal.
Because he is constantly floating he doesn’t
need high blood pressure. His blood pressure
is very low.
High pressure destroys cells.
Just enough pressure to bring nutrients and oxygen
to your cells should be your goal.
Dr. Pinna
Any comment on reports I’ve read regarding: Nitrates May Be Environmental Trigger For Alzheimer’s, Diabetes And Parkinson’s Disease ?
Hi, TR,
I have never heard that, and I have to doubt it.
We are talking about plants that people have eaten for thousandsa of years.
If there bad effects, somebody on this planet would not eat these plants.
You may be referring to NITRITES. There is a major difference.
Dr. Pinna