Beetroot Juice May Help Combat Heart Disease After Menopause

Nitrate-rich beetroot juice may help reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease in postmenopausal women by improving blood vessel function.

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Women in menopause experience a significant drop in estrogen levels, which often leads to symptoms such as hot flashes, sleepless nights, and mood swings. However, studies show that the loss of estrogen can cause more severe physiological changes in women, including impaired blood vessel function, which can lead to cardiovascular disease.

Researchers at Pennsylvania State University studied the effects of beetroot juice on postmenopausal women’s health. Their randomized, controlled, double-blind trial showed that daily consumption of nitrate-rich beetroot juice improves blood vessel function by boosting nitric oxide production. This benefit may lower the risk of heart issues in postmenopausal women with reduced estrogen levels.

The Study

The recent study published in Frontiers in Nutrition included 24 postmenopausal women in their 50s and 60s. All women involved were nonsmokers and not on hormone replacement therapy or taking cardiovascular medications.

The participants were not diagnosed with any overt chronic diseases, as verified by a physician-reviewed medical questionnaire and subsequent blood work. Each participant met the following health criteria:

• Resting blood pressure of less than 130/80 millimeters of mercury (mm Hg)
• Body mass index (BMI) between 18.5 and 35
• Fasting blood glucose level of less than 100 milligrams per deciliter (mg/dL)
• Hemoglobin A1C level of less than 6 percent
• Low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol level of less than 160 mg/dL

These criteria ensured the participants were generally healthy and not at immediate risk of chronic conditions such as hypertension, diabetes, or hyperlipidemia.

Study participants first had their blood vessel function tested using ultrasound to monitor blood flow. They were then separated into two groups: Group A and Group B.

Women in Group A consumed one 70-milliliter (mL) bottle (2.36 ounces) of beetroot juice with the nitrates removed to serve as a placebo. In contrast, women in Group B consumed one 70-mL bottle of beetroot juice, which naturally contains high concentrations of nitrates of up to 11.4 grams per liter.

Both groups drank their assigned beetroot juice daily for seven days. On the eighth day, the participants had their blood pressure and pulse measured again, along with a repeat ultrasound to assess blood vessel function and blood flow.

After this initial phase, both groups underwent a two-week “washout” period, during which they did not consume any beetroot juice. Following the washout phase, the groups switched: Group A drank nitrate-rich beetroot juice, and Group B drank the placebo beetroot juice for seven days. On the eighth day, the same measurements were repeated.

Researchers found that blood flow improved by greater than or equal to 1 percent in both early and late postmenopausal participants after consuming nitrate-rich beetroot juice daily, corresponding to a 13 percent reduction in cardiovascular risk. However, the improvement diminished 24 hours after the last dose, leading to the conclusion that daily consumption of beetroot juice can help protect heart health after menopause but is contingent on the timing of supplementation.

“Women may need to consume beetroot juice daily—or even more often—to experience all of the potential cardiovascular benefits,” David Proctor, one of the study’s researchers and a professor of kinesiology and physiology at Penn State, said in a statement.

Proctor further noted that the research indicates that beetroot juice can help protect blood vessel health in middle-aged women at increased risk of cardiovascular disease.

Nitric Oxide, Nitrates, and Heart Health

According to Chicago-based interventional cardiologist Dr. Rohit Vuppuluri, our bodies can convert dietary nitrates to nitric oxide, which improves arterial blood flow through vasodilation. This process helps enhance cardiovascular blood circulation and reduces blood pressure.

Nitric oxide is continually produced in the body and is essential to a healthy cardiovascular system. It increases blood vessel compliance and reduces atherosclerosis. Unfortunately, aging reduces the amount of nitric oxide produced in the body.

Lead study author Jocelyn Delgado Spicuzza, who earned a doctorate in integrative and biomedical physiology from Penn State, stated that postmenopausal women no longer produce estrogen, which plays a crucial role in maintaining nitric oxide levels in the body. Since nitric oxide is essential for vascular health, its reduced production after menopause contributes to the increased risk of heart disease in postmenopausal women.

“Foods that are rich in nitrate—especially beets—are being investigated as a natural, nonpharmaceutical way to protect the heart and blood vessels,” she said.

Menopause, Estrogen Loss, and Heart Disease

Delgado Spicuzza said in a statement that their research team was excited to find that beetroot juice improved blood vessel health for postmenopausal women. This finding is particularly significant because some treatments, such as hormone therapy, are only considered safe for the first several years after menopause. Beyond this period, hormone therapy can increase the risk of cancer and stroke.

“Estrogen has been linked with multiple cardiovascular protective properties,” Vuppuluri told The Epoch Times in an email.

Estrogen lowers cholesterol, has anti-inflammatory properties that help reduce plaque buildup in the blood vessels, and helps control blood pressure by inducing vasodilation, which improves circulation in both the coronary and peripheral arteries, he added. “These are all important for maintaining a good cardiovascular profile and reducing the risk of heart attack and stroke.”

Postmenopausal women often turn to hormone replacement therapy (HRT) to mitigate estrogen loss. However, research indicates that the safety and effectiveness of HRT depend on the timing of treatment and a woman’s overall risk of developing cardiovascular complications such as coronary artery disease, heart attack, and stroke.

Eating Nitrate-Rich Foods

“The study showed improved cardiovascular health and vascular circulation when drinking beetroot juice daily,” Vuppuluri said. “While beetroot juice was the only vegetable studied, any fruit/vegetable high in dietary nitrates should also produce similar results.”

Vuppuluri suggests eating nitrate-rich foods, including green leafy vegetables such as spinach and root vegetables such as carrots and radishes. Regularly consuming these foods can increase dietary nitrate intake.

While nitrates are an approved food additive for products such as processed meats, they are strictly regulated due to their potential cancer-causing properties, Delgado Spicuzza said. In contrast, plants such as beets and spinach accumulate nitrates naturally from the soil in which they grow.

“When you consider that most women are postmenopausal for at least a third of their lives, you can begin to understand the potential significance of these results,” she added.