A groundbreaking study, published in the European Respiratory Journal, reveals that a 12-week course of daily beetroot juice supplementation may offer significant health benefits for people with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).
This research, conducted by a team at Imperial College London under Professor Nicholas Hopkinson, indicates that beetroot juice can lower blood pressure and enhance physical capacity in COPD patients.
COPD, a severe lung condition that encompasses chronic bronchitis and emphysema, affects approximately 400 million individuals globally.
It not only causes breathing difficulties but also limits physical activity and increases the risk of heart attacks and strokes.
The study’s focus on beetroot juice, known for its high nitrate content, stems from its potential to relax blood vessels and improve muscle efficiency, previously observed in athletes.
The study involved 81 COPD patients at the Royal Brompton Hospital in London, all with a systolic blood pressure above 130 mmHg.
They were randomly assigned to either a group receiving a nitrate-rich beetroot supplement (70 ml of concentrated juice with 400 mg of nitrate) or a placebo group.
Remarkably, participants who took the nitrate-rich supplement experienced an average systolic blood pressure reduction of 4.5 mmHg and could walk about 30 meters more in a six-minute walking test compared to the placebo group.
These findings suggest improved vascular health and physical capacity in the supplement group.
Professor Hopkinson highlighted the study’s significance, noting the lowered blood pressure and increased walking distance in participants. He emphasized the need for larger, longer-term studies to confirm these promising results.
Professor Apostolos Bossios, Head of the European Respiratory Society’s airway disease assembly and not involved in the research, underscored the importance of such findings for COPD patients.
Given the incurable nature of COPD and the high risk of cardiovascular issues in these patients, interventions that improve daily life quality and reduce cardiovascular risk are highly valuable.
The study indicates that beetroot juice, which has been widely consumed and tested in other research contexts, could be a safe and beneficial treatment for people with COPD.
This research opens the door to further exploration of dietary supplements as adjunctive treatments in chronic diseases, potentially improving patient outcomes and quality of life.
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The research findings can be found in the European Respiratory Journal.
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