Commenting on the findings, Prof. Ahluwalia says:
"This research has proven that a daily inorganic nitrate dose can be as effective as medical intervention in reducing blood pressure and the best part is we can get it from beetroot and other leafy green vegetables."
She says one reason the findings are exciting is because increasing dietary nitrate is something patients can easily work into their daily lives and see a positive benefit.
"It is hugely beneficial for people to be able to take steps in controlling their blood pressure through non-clinical means such as eating vegetables," Prof. Ahluwalia adds. "We know many people don't like taking drugs life-long when they feel ok, and because of this, medication compliance is a big issue."
"The possibility of using a natural product, rather than another pill, to help lower blood pressure, is very appealing," adds Dr. Amoils.
Prof. Ahluwalia advises people looking to increase their daily nitrate intake not to boil vegetables because the nitrate dissolves in water. Instead, "steaming, roasting or drinking in a juice all has a positive effect," she notes.
As for the next step, she says this was a small trial, and now what is needed is a larger study that tries to replicate the findings over a longer period with a much larger group of people with high blood pressure.
High blood pressure increases the risk of more dangerous health conditions. For instance, about 70% of people who have a first heart attack, about 80% of those who have a first stroke, and 70% of those with chronic heart failure have high blood pressure. Kidney disease is also a major risk factor for people with high blood pressure.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), high blood pressure is either the primary cause of or contributes to 1,000 American deaths every day.
In December 2014, Medical News Today reported research published in the journal Open Heart that concluded added sugars probably contribute more to hypertension than dietary sodium.