Suco de beterraba reduz a pressão arterial 
Autor: tradutor de inglês técnico | Publicado: 2015-11-04T09:58:00-08:00


Cá estou novamente, olha tenho que confessar que já estava
com saudades de vocês. Já se vai mais de um ano deste a ultima postagem,
realmente estava sem tempo já que ando muito atarefado com minhas traduções e
agradeço a todos pela preferencia que me dão. Tenho que admitir que o trabalho
de tradutor não é fácil, mas o amor a profissão fala mais alto e cá estou
novamente escrevendo para vocês. Hoje volto a falar da beterraba, já publiquei
uma receitinha que é tiro e queda para quem é hipertenso. Agora vou mostrar
aqui as evidencias de um estudo feito com este vegetal na universidade Queen
Mary de Londres. É aquilo né, mato a cobra e mostro o pau... Vamos lá então foi
comprovado cientificamente que a beterraba é eficiente no controle da pressão
alta, basta tomar um copo de suco ao dia que sua pressão será drasticamente
reduzida. Desta forma é o fim para aqueles que precisam tomar medicamentos
caros e cheios de contra indicações para o resto da vida. Acha que estou
exagerando? Nem um pouco! Segue aqui o texto em inglês sobre a pesquisa feita
em Londres que comprovou a eficácia da beterraba no controle da hipertensão. Para
você que gosta de inglês é uma boa oportunidade para mantê-lo bem atualizado. &nbsp;&nbsp;Um abraço
a todos!




Drinking beetroot juice reduces high blood pressure




One glass of beetroot juice a day is enough to significantly reduce blood pressure in patients with high blood pressure, conclude researchers who conducted a placebo-controlled trial in dozens of patients.


Beetroot contains high levels of inorganic nitrate. Other leafy vegetables - such as lettuce and cabbage - also have high levels of the compound, which they take up from the soil through their roots.

The trial, conducted at Queen Mary University of London (QMUL) in the UK, was funded by the British Heart Foundation, whose senior research advisor Dr. Shannon Amoils remarks:

"This interesting study builds on previous research by this team and finds that a daily glass of beetroot juice can lower&nbsp;blood pressure&nbsp;in people with&nbsp;hypertension&nbsp;- even those whose high blood pressure was not controlled by drug treatment."

The researchers publish their findings in the journal&nbsp;Hypertension.

Beetroot contains high levels of inorganic nitrate. Other leafy vegetables - such as lettuce and cabbage - also have high levels of the compound, which they take up from the soil through their roots.

In the human body, inorganic nitrate converts to nitric oxide, which relaxes and dilates blood vessels.

For the trial, Amrita Ahluwalia, a vascular pharmacology professor at QMUL, and colleagues recruited 64 patients aged 18-85. Half of the patients were taking prescribed medication forhigh blood pressure&nbsp;but were not managing to reach their target blood pressure, and the rest had been diagnosed with high blood pressure but were not yet taking medication for it.

The patients were randomly assigned to one of two groups. One group consumed a daily glass (250 ml or around 8.5 oz) of beetroot juice, and the other group had the same except their beetroot juice was nitrate-free (the placebo).

The patients consumed the juice every day for 4 weeks. They were also monitored for 2 weeks before and after the study, bringing the total trial period to 8 weeks.

The trial was double-blind, which means neither the administering clinicians nor the patients knew whether the beetroot juice they were given was the placebo or the active supplement.

First study to show lasting reduction in blood pressure from dietary nitrate

During the 4 weeks they were taking the juice, patients in the active supplement group (whose beetroot juice contained inorganic nitrate) experienced a reduction in blood pressure of 8/4 mmHg (millimeters of mercury).

The first figure is the reduction in systolic pressure (when the heart is pushing) and the second figure is reduction in diastolic pressure (when the heart is relaxing). For many patients, the 8/4 mmHg reduction brought their blood pressure back into the normal range.

In the 2 weeks after they stopped taking the juice, the patients' blood pressure returned to their previous high levels.

The team notes that this is first study to show evidence of a long-lasting reduction in blood pressure due to dietary nitrate supplementation in a group of patients with high blood pressure.

The patients in the active supplement group also experienced a 20% or so improvement in blood vessel dilation capacity and their artery stiffness reduced by around 10%. Studies show such changes are linked to reduced risk of&nbsp;heart disease.

There were no changes to blood pressure, blood vessel function or artery stiffness in the placebo group (whose beetroot juice did not contain nitrate) during the period of the study.

The authors note that the reduction achieved in the active supplement group is comparable to that of medication; the average reduction in blood pressure that a single anti-hypertension drug brings is 9/5 mmHg.

The study concludes:


"These findings suggest a role for dietary nitrate as an affordable, readily-available, adjunctive treatment in the management of patients with hypertension."


To put the importance of these findings in context, the authors note that large-scale observational studies show that for every 2 mmHg increase in blood pressure, the risk of death from heart disease goes up 7% and from&nbsp;stroke&nbsp;by 10%.

Natural products to lower blood pressure are 'more appealing' than pills


One glass of beetroot juice a day significantly lowered blood pressure in people with high blood pressure.

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&nbsp;heart attack, about 80% of those who have a first
stroke, and 70% of those with chronic&nbsp;heart failure&nbsp;have high blood pressure. Kidney
disease is also a major risk factor for people with high blood pressure.