Beet Juice

[Guest guest]

I came across a small study that was done over a year ago but thought I would

post it in case it has any benefits to even one person:

In this study, Kim-Shapiro, director of Wake Forest University's

Translational Science Center noted that " we wanted to show that drinking beet

juice also increases perfusion, or blood flow, to the brain, " a finding that

could mean a great deal in the fight against dementia.

Why use beet juice? Beets contain a high concentration of nitrates, which, when

they enter the body, are transformed into nitrites by good bacteria in the

mouth. Research shows that nitrites help open up the blood vessels, which

increases blood flow. The subjects' MRIs revealed that after consuming beet

juice, the older adults had an increase in blood flow to the regions of the

brain that are associated with deterioration linked to dementia and other

cognitive problems. Kim-Shapiro notes that " there are areas in the brain that

become poorly perfused as you age, and that's believed to be associated with

dementia and poor cognition. " Foods that are naturally rich in nitrates, such as

beets, celery, cabbage, and other leafy green vegetables, offer numerous health

advantages. This current study is the first to uncover a link between drinking

beet juice and enhanced blood flow to the brain in older adults, a health

benefit that joins lowering blood pressure and improved exercise tolerance.