After menopause, women are at a higher risk of developing heart disease. A study conducted by researchers at Penn State looked into the potential benefits of beetroot juice, which is high in nitrate, on blood vessel function among postmenopausal women. The findings suggest that daily consumption of beetroot juice could potentially improve blood vessel function and reduce the risk of future heart disease.
Results from a study published in Frontiers in Nutrition on June 10 showed that daily consumption of beetroot juice by postmenopausal women could enhance blood vessel function and potentially reduce the risk of future heart disease. Beetroot juice is rich in nitrate, which the body converts to nitric oxide. Nitric oxide plays a role in expanding blood vessels, making it easier for blood to flow through the circulatory system. This widening of blood vessels is especially beneficial during times of restricted blood flow and low oxygen delivery, such as during a heart attack.A team of researchers, led by David Proctor, a kinesiology and physiology professor at Penn State, and Jocelyn Delgado Spicuzza, who recently obtained her doctorate in integrative and biomedical physiology from Penn State, conducted a study on 24 postmenopausal women in their 50s and 60s to see how beetroot juice, rich in nitrates, affects blood vessel health. Delgado Spicuzza, the first author of the study and current research project manager at the SAFE-T center, explained that after menopause, women stop producing estrogen, which plays a role in maintaining nitric oxide in the body. This reduction in nitric oxide production can have a significant impact on the overall health of blood vessels.
Postmenopausal women may have an increased risk of heart disease. Research is looking into the potential benefits of foods high in nitrates, particularly beets, as a natural way to protect the heart and blood vessels.
Nitrate is an approved food additive for certain animal-based products, such as processed meats. However, regulations on nitrate additives and preservatives are strict due to their potential link to cancer, according to Delgado Spicuzza. On the other hand, plants like beets, spinach, and lettuce naturally absorb nitrate from the soil. These plant-based sources of nitrate may have cardiovascular advantages for the human body.The body can change nitrates from plants into nitric oxide, but it can’t do the same with nitrates added to meats.
During the study, the participants had their vascular function tested at the Penn State Clinical Research Center. They then drank two 2.3-ounce bottles of beetroot juice as an initial dose, followed by one bottle every morning for a week. All participants consumed concentrated beetroot juice, with each serving providing as much nitrate as three large beets. A few weeks later, the participants drank beetroot juice with the nitrate removed.
At the time of the study, neither the researchers nor the participants were aware of which juice was being consumed.The study involved participants returning for vascular function testing a day after their last dose. The researchers compared the blood vessel expansion in women consuming nitrate-rich beetroot juice and those who were not. An ultrasound sensor was used to monitor blood flow through the brachial artery during a stress test, and changes in blood flow were measured after the restriction was removed.The study found that drinking nitrate-rich beetroot juice daily improved blood flow compared to drinking nitrate-free beetroot juice. Researchers suggested that maintaining this improved blood-vessel function over time could reduce the risk of heart disease in postmenopausal women. While the long-term health benefits of beetroot juice specifically have not been fully explored, the long-term benefits of nitrate-rich vegetables in general have been established. The researchers also recommended that women may need to drink beetroot juice daily or even more frequently in order to maximize its potential benefits.”The study revealed that beetroot juice has potential cardiovascular benefits,” Proctor explained. “This research demonstrates that beetroot juice can be particularly helpful in preserving the health of blood vessels in women during a time when the risk of heart disease is increasing.”
The study involved women in the early postmenopausal stage, which is one to six years after menopause, and women in the late postmenopausal stage, which is six or more years after menopause. Both groups of women experienced similar improvements in blood vessel health.
Delgado Spicuzza expressed the research team’s enthusiasm about discovering that beetroot juice could enhance blood vessel health in women who had experienced menopause several years earlier.Treatments to protect the heart health of women after menopause, such as hormone therapy, are only considered safe in the first few years after menopause. After that, hormone therapy can actually increase the risk of cancer and stroke.
“Some doctors are now suggesting beetroot juice for both men and women with high blood pressure,” Delgado Spicuzza explained. “By offering a safe and effective way to improve blood vessel function, beets could help maintain the cardiovascular health of women after menopause. Considering that most women spend at least a third of their lives post-menopause, the potential impact is significant.
Delgado Spicuzza was awarded the Mid-Atlantic American College of Sports Medicine 2023 Doctoral Student Investigator Award for her presentation on this research in the fall of 2023. She expressed satisfaction in seeing this research resonate with other researchers, particularly the women in the study who were enthusiastic about the potential of beetroot juice.
She mentioned that several participants expressed their intention to continue consuming beetroot juice after the study was completed. It appears that postmenopausal women are keen to support their cardiovascular health.
According to Jigar Gosalia, a graduate student in kinesiology at Penn State, beets may offer health benefits for women as they age, specifically in improving blood vessel health. This view is supported by Mary Jane De Souza, a distinguished professor of kinesiology and physiology at Penn State, as well as Kristina Petersen, an associate professor of nutritional sciences at Penn State. Additionally, Michael Flanagan, a doctor of family medicine at Penn State Health, and Liezhou Zhong, a postdoctoral research fellow at Edith Cowan University in Australia, along with Catherine Bondonno, a senior research fellow at the School of Medical and Health Science, believe that beets can play a role in improving overall health without the need for additional medications.The study was conducted with the help of experts from Edith Cowan University, Atrium Health Carolinas Medical Center, Wake Forest University, and the University of Leeds in the United Kingdom. Additionally, the researchers expressed their gratitude to nurses Cyndi Flanagan and Christa Oelhaf for their contributions to the study. The study was Funded by the National Institutes of Health and the Huck Endowment for Nutritional Research in Family and Community Medicine at Penn State College of Medicine and University Park.
