More high blood pressure patients are using natural remedies to control high blood pressure. This behavior is not surprising, and the two biggest reasons behind this newly-gained popularity of natural treatment approaches are:

• Blood pressure medications have side-effects such as cramps, aches, and dizziness. In fact, some high blood pressure medications may even lead to heart attacks and strokes.
• Natural remedies are very safe and effective in controlling high blood pressure. Natural remedies are less costly than allopathic treatment too and are devoid of side-effects.

One natural way of controlling high blood pressure is by consuming beet.

How Beet helps in controlling high blood pressure

A study published in a medical journal last year reported that high blood pressure patients can reduce their blood pressure by 10% by consuming 2 cups of beet juice every day.

Amrita Ahluwalia, who was the leading author of the study, advocates that beetroot juice and other nitrate-rich vegetables help immensely in maintaining a healthy cardiovascular system.

Benefits of beet are aplenty. Some of the more pronounced ones are:

• Beets reduce total cholesterol levels – Regular consumption of beet juice can help reduce your total cholesterol by 30%, and triglycerides by 40%.
• Beets increase good cholesterol levels – Beets also increase the good cholesterol or HDL levels.
• Beets help in preventing cancer – Beets contain betacyanin, a phytochemical that prevents the formation of cancer. Medical studies also point that while beet fiber helps in removing toxins, regular consumption of beet juice increases the count of CD8 cells, which assist our body in fighting cancer.

In addition to the above, beets also reduce the risk of blood clots, dissolve inorganic calcium deposits that clog arteries, and improve digestion.

Beet, with so many benefits, puts even the best statin at shame. So invest some money on a good juicer and take your first step toward a healthy heart.

Precautions while consuming beet

Do not- and we repeat- do not mix beet juice with broccoli or other vegetables that have high calcium content. Beet is rich in oxalic acid, and oxalic acid and calcium can cause digestive problems if taken together.

Also, as beet is rich in oxalic acid, high blood pressure patients who have kidney stones, osteoporosis, and gout should avoid consuming it.

Other natural remedies

Besides consuming beet, exercise regularly and eat a balanced diet to manage your blood pressure. When picking an exercise regime, remember that what counts is the duration of exercise and its regularity. With easy sets of exercises developed by Christian Goodman, a natural health researcher, high blood pressure patients can naturally lower blood pressure by exercising for only a few minutes each day.

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