The foods and drinks you consume affect your blood pressure. Some can help lower it, while others quickly raise it. Your diet is so critical that it can help prevent and treat high blood pressure. In some cases, changing your diet can help you avoid medications.
Talking to ITV’s Lorraine and his Instagram page @doctoramirkhan, Dr Amir Khan pointed out that things like reducing salt and eating more bananas can help “reduce blood pressure”, but so can turning one key vegetable into a juice – beetroot. He said: “Yes, it’s true. Beetroot juice can help lower blood pressure, especially in those with high blood pressure.” For this to be effective, he recommends drinking about 250ml a day of beetroot juice.
Beetroot has long flown under the radar in clinical nutrition, but more people are now discovering that this humble root veggie might help sharpen blood flow, and even lower blood pressure, all with zero side effects and no prescription needed.
Explaining the science behind this, Dr Khan said: “Beetroot juice contains something called nitrates, which are converted to nitric oxide by our body, which widens our blood vessels.
“This lowers our blood pressure and keeps the cells inside our blood vessels healthy as well.”
They found that high blood pressure patients who drank 250ml of beetroot juice a day were found to have blood pressure levels back in the “normal” range by the end of the study.
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However, Dr Khan cautioned: “Be careful if you’re diabetic, as it can push your blood sugars up.”
If you’re thinking about trying beetroot juice for high blood pressure, timing may matter too.
The blood pressure-lowering effects of beetroot juice may last much of the day. Because of this, having a glass in the morning or early afternoon may be most helpful for supporting blood pressure during daily activities.
Beyond beetroot, other nitrate-rich foods like spinach, celery, and radishes can also support nitric oxide production to boost your heart health.
Of course, you should only make dietary changes to lower blood pressure with a doctor’s guidance. There’s no substitute for your provider’s medical advice when managing blood pressure.
