Filed underWebMD News For more trusted health news and
information, visit CBS DC's WebMD Medical News Reviewed by
Brunilda Nazario, MD Dec. 14, 2012 — Drinking a glass of beet
juice may have an immediate impact on lowering blood pressure,
according to a new study. The study shows that within hours of
drinking it, beet juice lowered systolic blood pressure (the top
number in a blood pressure reading) by an average of 4-5 points
among a small group of healthy men. Researchers say that drop
may seem small, but on a public health level a reduction like
that would equate to a 10% reduction in deaths due to heart
disease. “It’s promising that we can see an effect from a single
dose,” says researcher Leah Coles, PhD, a research fellow at the
Baker IDI Heart and Diabetes Institute in Melbourne, Australia.
“That effect might be even greater over the long term if they
are drinking it day upon day.” Previous studies have shown that
beet juice, also known as beetroot juice, can lower blood
pressure in a laboratory settin