Eating foods rich in nitrates, like beetroot, can help the body make more nitric oxide, which slightly lowers blood pressure in people with or without high blood pressure.
Evidence from Studies
No evidence studies found yet.
What Would Prove This
Per GRADE and EBM methodology, here is what ideal scientific evidence would look like to definitively prove or disprove this claim, ordered from strongest to weakest.
A systematic review could determine the average blood pressure-lowering effect of dietary nitrate across diverse populations and dosages.
A systematic review and meta-analysis of 25+ RCTs comparing beetroot juice (≥6.4 mmol nitrate/day) or sodium nitrate supplementation vs. placebo in adults with or without hypertension, measuring 24-hour ambulatory systolic and diastolic BP as primary outcome, with subgroup analysis by age, baseline BP, and duration.
An RCT could determine whether daily beetroot juice reduces systolic BP by ≥5 mmHg in older adults with isolated systolic hypertension.
A double-blind RCT of 200 adults aged 70+ with isolated systolic hypertension (SBP 140–159 mmHg), randomized to 250 mL beetroot juice (6.4 mmol nitrate) daily vs. placebo (nitrate-depleted juice) for 8 weeks, with primary outcome of change in 24-hour ambulatory systolic BP.
A cohort study could determine whether habitual beetroot consumption predicts lower BP over 5 years in a general population.
A prospective cohort of 5000 adults aged 40–70 from the UK Biobank, with dietary nitrate intake estimated via food frequency questionnaire, followed for 5 years to assess association between nitrate intake and change in systolic BP, adjusting for sodium, potassium, and fiber intake.
A cross-sectional study could correlate dietary nitrate intake with BP in a single population sample.
A cross-sectional study measuring dietary nitrate intake (via 3-day food diary) and office BP in 1000 adults from a single clinic, adjusting for age, BMI, and medication use.
A case report could document BP reduction after beetroot juice in a single hypertensive patient.
A case report describing a 72-year-old man with resistant hypertension who reduced SBP by 12 mmHg after 4 weeks of daily beetroot juice, with no other lifestyle changes.