In a new study, researchers found that beetroot may help prevent salt-induced high blood pressure.
They found that adding small amounts of beetroot or dietary nitrate to salty food products may help control blood pressure.
The research was conducted by a team from the University of California, San Francisco.
According to WHO, most people consume about twice the recommended level of salt.
Consuming too much sodium and too little potassium may lead to high blood pressure, which is a big risk factor of heart disease and stroke.
Previous research has shown that nitric oxide is a signaling molecule in the cardiovascular system and can reduce blood pressure.
in the study, the team gave salt-sensitive rats salt along with small amounts of beetroot juice or dietary nitrate.
Dietary nitrate is found in the root and leafy vegetables such as spinach, lettuce, and celery.
The researchers found that both the juice and the nitrate supplement were more effective in protecting high blood pressure than potassium.
If those results could be replicated in humans, the team believes it could provide a method for reducing salt-induced high blood pressure simply.
People just need to add a nitrate concentrate to certain salty foods.
The finding may help develop a new method to battle the epidemic of salt-induced high blood pressure.
It can especially benefit people who find it hard to eat more potassium-rich fruits and vegetables.
But researchers also suggest people who need to lower blood pressure follow diets rich in fruits and vegetables, such as the Mediterranean diet or DASH.
Eating more vegetables and fruits may provide benefits more than just preventing blood pressure and heart disease.
The lead author of the study is Dr. Theodore W. Kurtz from UCSF.
The study is published in the American Heart Association journal Hypertension.
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