Benefits Of Nitrate Rich Vegetables

A small study in the journal "Hypertension" suggests that vegetables rich in the compound nitrate may help reduce blood pressure in people with hypertension. Your body converts dietary nitrate into a chemical known as nitrite and then into nitric oxide, a gas known to dilate blood vessel and thus lower blood pressure. The participants in the study were given either 200 ml of beetroot juice containing 0.2 grams of nitrate or a placebo and had their blood monitored over the next 24 hours. Compared to the placebo group, those drinking the juice experienced a reduction of about 10 mmHg in blood pressure, the study found. The effect was most significant within three to six hours of drinking the juice but still remained 24 hours later. In another study, Researchers have found that a daily glass of beetroot juice could combat the onset of dementia among older adults- the drink actually aids blood flow to the brain and halt age-related ailments. In the study, researchers found that brain scans of volunteers showed that after a high-nitrate diet, older adults had more blood flow to the areas of the brain commonly linked to degeneration. Nitrate Rich foods: Besides beetroot juice, good sources of dietary nitrate include leafy green vegetables- e.g. drumstick leaves, fenugreek leaves. spinach, cabbage, basil, coriander,  Strawberry  and celery.