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How beetroot can help reduce high BP or hypertension

How beetroot can help reduce high BP or hypertension

Written by Pavitra Sampath |Updated : July 10, 2015 3:48 PM IST

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Beetroot

We all have heard that including veggies in our diets is an essential step to staying healthy. But did you know that eating something like beetroot can take care of your blood pressure problems? Yes, the pink root has a number of health benefits right from helping pregnant mums have healthy babies to beating osteoporosis to keeping your blood sugar in check. Here is how beetroot can help you maintain your blood pressure levels naturally.

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How it helps you:

According to the British Heart foundation, eating vegetables rich in nitrates could help reduce blood pressure drastically. In another study at the Queen Mary's University in the year 2010 the same theory was proved again. Beetroot is a great source of nitrates, which when consumed, is converted to nitrites and a gas called nitric oxides. Both these components help to widen the arteries and lower blood pressure. Researchers also found that having just about 500 grams of beetroot every day reduces a person's blood pressure in about six hours. (Read: Amazing health benefits of beetroot)

Read more about causes, symptoms, diagnosis and treatment of hypertension.

How to use it

Tip #1: Beetroot is a great addition to a salad. To add it to a salad par-boiling it makes it softer to eat and it does not lose any of its nutrients.

Wash one beet well and par boil it. You can do so either in a cooker or a vessel of boiling water. Throw away the water that it boils in as this could contain mud that is normally found around the root. Now peel the beetroot, slice it and eat it as a salad. You could finely chopped pieces to a mixed salad as well.

Tip #2: If boiling the beetroot seems too tedious, try beetroot juice instead. Cut the beetroot into fine pieces or grate it. Add it to a blender and extract the juice. Add a tiny pinch of salt (if you want) and drink this juice first thing in the morning on an empty stomach.

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