Beetroot juice lowers blood pressure

A daily glass of beetroot juice can help to lower your blood pressure, a new study has found.

Research conducted at The London Medical School found that beetroot's high levels of nitrate increases oxygen in the body and cuts blood pressure readings by around seven per cent in those consume eight ounces each day.

High levels of nitrate are also found in celery, cabbage, spinach and, in some cases, lettuce.

"We were surprised by how little nitrate was needed to see such a large effect," said Amrita Ahluwalia, professor of vascular pharmacology at The Barts and The London Medical School.

"Our hope is that increasing one’s intake of vegetables with a high dietary nitrate content, such as green leafy vegetables or beetroot, might be a lifestyle approach that one could easily employ to improve cardiovascular health."

It is estimated that more than 16 million people have high blood pressure in the UK, increasing their risk of suffering from heart disease, kidney failure and stroke.