Beet Juice Boosts Heart Health

Athletes have long touted the benefits of consuming nitrates for their ability to increase muscle power during workouts. This can be in the form of nitrate rich foods such as beets and leafy greens, or synthetic supplements. A recent study demonstrates that heart failure patients can take advantage of this muscle boosting phenomenon as well.

Nitrates are converted by the body into nitric oxide, which helps relax and dilate narrowed blood vessels. When the blood vessels are widened they allow for more blood flow, which increases oxygen delivery to the muscles. The endothelial lining in the arteries helps to produce nitric oxide and this can help lower blood pressure and keep the heart strong and healthy. In heart failure patients there is damage to the endothelial lining, resulting in higher blood pressure and less delivery of oxygen to the muscles, including the heart.

When the heart doesn’t get enough oxygen, its ability to pump blood through the body weakens. This decreases the amount of oxygen delivered to the body, leading to muscle fatigue and weakness. This severely impacts the quality of life for heart patients as simple activities of daily living pose stress on the muscles.

So where does the beet juice come in? Beets are naturally high in nitrates, which become highly concentrated when the beets are juiced. To test their theory, researchers gave two groups of heart failure patients a glass of beet juice after an overnight fast. One group’s juice contained nitrates while the other had the nitrates removed. Two hours later, the muscle power of both groups was tested. Results showed that the patients who had consumed the nitrate-rich beet juice had increased nitric oxide production of 35-50 percent. The nitrate-rich group also showed up to an 11 percent increase in muscle power when patients performed knee extensions.

Bottom Line: These results illustrate that when beet juice is consumed there is a drastic increase in nitric oxide production, which increases muscle power and function. Beets are also good sources of folate, potassium, vitamin C, fiber and antioxidants. Other good sources of nitrates include spinach, radishes, lettuce, celery and Chinese cabbage. Researchers noted that more studies should be done to look at the long term effects and determine if quality of life is improved for the heart failure population.

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