Beet root juice/powder

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NHE
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Beet root juice/powder

Post by NHE »

I've been using beet root root powder for the last month or so. It appears that there are desirable benefits for PwMS. Post here if you use beet root and let us know what your experience has been.
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NHE
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Re: Beet root juice/powder

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Beet Root Juice: An Ergogenic Aid for Exercise and the Aging Brain.
J Gerontol A Biol Sci Med Sci. 2017 Sep 1;72(9):1284-1289.

Background: Exercise has positive neuroplastic effects on the aging brain. It has also been shown that ingestion of beet root juice (BRJ) increases blood flow to the brain and enhances exercise performance. Here, we examined whether there are synergistic effects of BRJ and exercise on neuroplasticity in the aging brain.

Methods: Peak metabolic equivalent (MET) capacity and resting-state magnetic resonance imaging functional brain network organization are reported on 26 older (mean age = 65.4 years) participants randomly assigned to 6 weeks of exercise + BRJ or exercise + placebo.

Results: Somatomotor community structure consistency was significantly enhanced in the exercise + BRJ group following the intervention (MBRJ = -2.27, SE = 0.145, MPlacebo = -2.89, SE = 0.156, p = .007). Differences in second-order connections between the somatomotor cortex and insular cortex were also significant; the exercise + BRJ group (M = 3.28, SE = 0.167) had a significantly lower number of connections than exercise + placebo (M = 3.91, SE = 0.18, p = .017) following the intervention. Evaluation of peak MET capacity revealed a trend for the exercise + BRJ group to have higher MET capacity following the intervention.

Conclusions: Older adults who exercised and consumed BRJ demonstrated greater consistency within the motor community and fewer secondary connections with the insular cortex compared with those who exercised without BRJ. The exercise + BRJ group had brain networks that more closely resembled those of younger adults, showing the potential enhanced neuroplasticity conferred by combining exercise and BRJ consumption.

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NHE
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Re: Beet root juice/powder

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Acute ingestion of beetroot bread increases endothelium-independent vasodilation and lowers diastolic blood pressure in healthy men: a randomized controlled trial.
J Nutr. 2013 Sep;143(9):1399-405.

Dietary nitrate, from beetroot, has been reported to lower blood pressure (BP) by the sequential reduction of nitrate to nitrite and further to NO in the circulation. However, the impact of beetroot on microvascular vasodilation and arterial stiffness is unknown. In addition, beetroot is consumed by only 4.5% of the UK population, whereas bread is a staple component of the diet. Thus, we investigated the acute effects of beetroot bread (BB) on microvascular vasodilation, arterial stiffness, and BP in healthy participants. Twenty-three healthy men received 200 g bread containing 100 g beetroot (1.1 mmol nitrate) or 200 g control white bread (CB; 0 g beetroot, 0.01 mmol nitrate) in an acute, randomized, open-label, controlled crossover trial. The primary outcome was postprandial microvascular vasodilation measured by laser Doppler iontophoresis and the secondary outcomes were arterial stiffness measured by Pulse Wave Analysis and Velocity and ambulatory BP measured at regular intervals for a total period of 6 h. Plasma nitrate and nitrite were measured at regular intervals for a total period of 7 h. The incremental area under the curve (0-6 h after ingestion of bread) for endothelium-independent vasodilation was greater (P = 0.017) and lower for diastolic BP (DBP; P = 0.032) but not systolic (P = 0.99) BP after BB compared with CB. These effects occurred in conjunction with increases in plasma and urinary nitrate (P < 0.0001) and nitrite (P < 0.001). BB acutely increased endothelium-independent vasodilation and decreased DBP. Therefore, enriching bread with beetroot may be a suitable vehicle to increase intakes of cardioprotective beetroot in the diet and may provide new therapeutic perspectives in the management of hypertension.

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NHE
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Re: Beet root juice/powder

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Dietary nitrate supplementation: effects on plasma nitrite and pulmonary O2 uptake dynamics during exercise in hypoxia and normoxia.
Am J Physiol Regul Integr Comp Physiol. 2014 Oct 1;307(7):R920-30.

We investigated the effects of dietary nitrate (NO3 (-)) supplementation on the concentration of plasma nitrite ([NO2 (-)]), oxygen uptake (V̇o2) kinetics, and exercise tolerance in normoxia (N) and hypoxia (H). In a double-blind, crossover study, 12 healthy subjects completed cycle exercise tests, twice in N (20.9% O2) and twice in H (13.1% O2). Subjects ingested either 140 ml/day of NO3 (-)-rich beetroot juice (8.4 mmol NO3; BR) or NO3 (-)-depleted beetroot juice (PL) for 3 days prior to moderate-intensity and severe-intensity exercise tests in H and N. Preexercise plasma [NO2 (-)] was significantly elevated in H-BR and N-BR compared with H-PL (P < 0.01) and N-PL (P < 0.01). The rate of decline in plasma [NO2 (-)] was greater during severe-intensity exercise in H-BR [-30 ± 22 nM/min, 95% confidence interval (CI); -44, -16] compared with H-PL (-7 ± 10 nM/min, 95% CI; -13, -1; P < 0.01) and in N-BR (-26 ± 19 nM/min, 95% CI; -38, -14) compared with N-PL (-1 ± 6 nM/min, 95% CI; -5, 2; P < 0.01). During moderate-intensity exercise, steady-state pulmonary V̇o2 was lower in H-BR (1.91 ± 0.28 l/min, 95% CI; 1.77, 2.13) compared with H-PL (2.05 ± 0.25 l/min, 95% CI; 1.93, 2.26; P = 0.02), and V̇o2 kinetics was faster in H-BR (τ: 24 ± 13 s, 95% CI; 15, 32) compared with H-PL (31 ± 11 s, 95% CI; 23, 38; P = 0.04). NO3 (-) supplementation had no significant effect on V̇o2 kinetics during severe-intensity exercise in hypoxia, or during moderate-intensity or severe-intensity exercise in normoxia. Tolerance to severe-intensity exercise was improved by NO3 (-) in hypoxia (H-PL: 197 ± 28; 95% CI; 173, 220 vs. H-BR: 214 ± 43 s, 95% CI; 177, 249; P = 0.04) but not normoxia. The metabolism of NO2 (-) during exercise is altered by NO3 (-) supplementation, exercise, and to a lesser extent, hypoxia. In hypoxia, NO3 (-) supplementation enhances V̇o2 kinetics during moderate-intensity exercise and improves severe-intensity exercise tolerance. These findings may have important implications for individuals exercising at altitude.

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ElliotB
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Re: Beet root juice/powder

Post by ElliotB »

I have been taking pure beet powder daily for several years. And even though I don't know if it alone is helping me, I plan to keep taking it.

BEWARE of companies offering SUPER BEET products, as most are NOT 100% beets, they have sweeteners added and possibly other ingredients as well. And the posted 'results' in their advertising are typically their own likely biased study or studies. AND like all supplement companies, the claims they make do not have to be substantiated and generally are not.

In any case, I do agree it is a good idea to add beets to our diets, but only 100% beet products.

NHE, Have you noticed anything different since you started taking beets?
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NHE
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Re: Beet root juice/powder

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ElliotB wrote: Fri Aug 16, 2019 5:28 amNHE, Have you noticed anything different since you started taking beets?
My blood pressure is lower.
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Re: Beet root juice/powder

Post by floyds04 »

Thanks for sharing your experience with beet root powder. I haven't tried it myself, but I've heard great things about the benefits it can provide, especially for people living with Multiple Sclerosis. Have you been using organic beet powder or a different type? Either way, it would be great to hear more about your experience, and hopefully others can chime in too!
ElliotB
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Re: Beet root juice/powder

Post by ElliotB »

"I've heard great things about the benefits it can provide"

Where and what have you heard? I have yet to read of any credible evidence of any major benefits of beets. Lots of slick marketing available of course. Yet, I continue to consume them anyway...
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