Beetroot juice helps keep blood pressure steady in the cold
Nitrate ingestion blunts the increase in blood pressure during cool air exposure: a double-blind, placebo-controlled, randomized, crossover trial
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a healthcare professional. Terms
Surprising Findings
Beetroot juice didn't change skin temperature or thermal sensation in the cold
People assume nitrate supplements would help you feel warmer by improving blood flow to skin, but the study found no effect on skin temperature or how cold you feel.
Practical Takeaways
Drink beetroot juice before going into cold environments if you're at risk for blood pressure spikes (e.g., elderly, hypertensive individuals)
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a healthcare professional. Terms
Surprising Findings
Beetroot juice didn't change skin temperature or thermal sensation in the cold
People assume nitrate supplements would help you feel warmer by improving blood flow to skin, but the study found no effect on skin temperature or how cold you feel.
Practical Takeaways
Drink beetroot juice before going into cold environments if you're at risk for blood pressure spikes (e.g., elderly, hypertensive individuals)
Publication
Journal
Journal of Applied Physiology
Year
2024
Authors
Samantha N. Rowland, Emma O’Donnell, Lewis J. James, M. Da Boit, Naoto Fujii, Josh T Arnold, Alex B. Lloyd, Clare M. Eglin, A. Shepherd, Stephen J Bailey
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Claims (10)
Bacteria in the mouth help regulate blood pressure by converting nitrate to nitrite, which is part of the body's natural blood pressure control system.
Drinking beetroot juice before going into a cool room stops your blood pressure from going up as much as it normally would when you're cold.
When you drink beetroot juice in a cool room, your body produces more nitrite in your blood than when you drink it in a warm room.
When you're in a cool room, you produce more saliva than when you're in a warm room.
Drinking beetroot juice in a warm room doesn't make your blood pressure go down compared to drinking a placebo in the same warm room.