Beetroot Helps You Age Like A Pro, According To Study

According to a new study of people aged 70-80, drinking beetroot juice promotes healthier blood vessels and brain function. I don’t know about you, but I love my brain functioning, so anything to keep that ticking over in my twilight years would be nice.

In the study by the University of Exeter, 26 healthy older people took part in two ten-day supplementation periods: one with nitrate-rich beetroot juice and another with nitrate-free placebo juice, which they drank twice a day. The results showed higher levels of bacteria associated with good vascular and cognitive health, and lower levels of bacteria linked to disease and inflammation. Systolic blood pressure dropped on average by five points (mmHg) after drinking the beetroot juice.

Lead author Professor Vanhatalo stressed that more research is needed to confirm the findings and see whether similar effects are found in other groups.

“Our participants were healthy, active older people with generally good blood pressure,” she said. “Dietary nitrate reduced their blood pressure on average, and we are keen to find out whether the same would happen in other age groups and among people in poorer health.”

For more inspiring, unique M2 content, head on over to our homepage here.