Beet juice helps blood flow, but not enough in Alzheimer's
Increasing nitric oxide availability via ingestion of nitrate-rich beetroot juice improves vascular responsiveness in individuals with Alzheimer's Disease.
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a healthcare professional. Terms
Surprising Findings
People with Alzheimer’s still produced more nitrite and improved blood flow after beet juice—just not enough to catch up to healthy peers.
Many assume Alzheimer’s patients can’t process nitrate at all—but they can. The problem isn’t the pathway; it’s that their vessels are too damaged to respond fully, even with fuel.
Practical Takeaways
Drink beetroot juice if you want to support healthy blood flow—but don’t expect it to reverse cognitive decline or fix vascular issues in Alzheimer’s.
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a healthcare professional. Terms
Surprising Findings
People with Alzheimer’s still produced more nitrite and improved blood flow after beet juice—just not enough to catch up to healthy peers.
Many assume Alzheimer’s patients can’t process nitrate at all—but they can. The problem isn’t the pathway; it’s that their vessels are too damaged to respond fully, even with fuel.
Practical Takeaways
Drink beetroot juice if you want to support healthy blood flow—but don’t expect it to reverse cognitive decline or fix vascular issues in Alzheimer’s.
Publication
Journal
Nitric oxide : biology and chemistry
Year
2025
Authors
Pedrinolla Anna, Dorelli Gianluigi, Porcelli Simone, Burleigh Mia, Mendo Martina, Martignon Camilla, Fonte Cristina, Dalle Carbonare Luca Giuseppe, Easton Chris, Muti Ettore, Schena Federico, Venturelli Massimo
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Claims (6)
Eating certain foods or supplements like L-citrulline or nitrate-rich vegetables can help your body make more nitric oxide, a molecule that helps your blood vessels relax and work better.
People with Alzheimer's have blood vessels that don't respond as well to signals that make them open up, even after taking a supplement called nitrate—which normally helps blood flow better—compared to older healthy people and young people.
People with Alzheimer’s might have blood vessel problems for reasons other than just low nitric oxide — something else could be going on too.
Drinking beetroot juice may raise certain chemicals in the blood that help your body make nitric oxide, which is good for blood flow — and this seems to happen whether you're young, older, or have Alzheimer's.
Drinking beetroot juice might temporarily make blood vessels in the legs respond better to movement, and this seems to happen in older people with Alzheimer’s, healthy older adults, and even young people.