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Beet Root

Specific Recommendations:

• Beet root powder at Amazon.com
• Beet root capsules at Amazon.com and iHerb

News & Research:

• Changes in mouth bacteria after drinking beetroot juice may promote healthy aging - Science Daily, 3/30/21 - "Beetroot -- and other foods including lettuce, spinach and celery -- are rich in inorganic nitrate, and many oral bacteria play a role in turning nitrate to nitric oxide, which helps to regulate blood vessels and neurotransmission (chemical messages in the brain) ... Older people tend to have lower nitric oxide production, and this is associated with poorer vascular (blood vessel) and cognitive (brain) health ... 26 healthy older people took part in two ten-day supplementation periods: one with nitrate-rich beetroot juice and another with nitrate-free placebo juice, which they drank twice a day ... The results showed higher levels of bacteria associated with good vascular and cognitive health, and lower levels of bacteria linked to disease and inflammation ... Systolic blood pressure dropped on average by five points (mmHg) after drinking the beetroot juice" - See beet root capsules at Amazon.com.
• Beetroot peptide as potential drug candidate for treating diseases - Science Daily, 10/30/20 - "The beetroot peptide specifically inhibits prolyl oligopeptidase (POP), which is involved in the breakdown of protein hormones in the body and is therefore able to regulate inflammatory reactions. POP is a much-discussed drug target for neurodegenerative and inflammatory diseases, such as Alzheimer's and multiple sclerosis, for example. "This means that, in future studies, this group of plant peptides called 'knottins', such as those found in beetroot, could potentially provide a drug candidate for treating these diseases.""

Abstracts:

• Efficacy and Variability in Plasma Nitrite Levels during Long-Term Supplementation with Nitrate Containing Beetroot Juice - J Diet Suppl 2022 Oct 30;1-26 - "Long-term consumption of nitrate containing beetroot juice increased fasting nitrate and nitrite plasma levels compared to baseline" - See beet root capsules at Amazon.com.
  • 5 Ways to Increase Nitric Oxide Naturally - Healthline - "Nitrate is a compound found in beetroot and dark leafy greens like spinach and arugula. When you consume nitrate, your body converts it to nitric oxide, which in turn causes blood vessels to relax and dilate, lowering blood pressure."
• Betaine ameliorates acute sever ulcerative colitis by inhibiting oxidative stress induced inflammatory pyroptosis - Mol Nutr Food Res 2022 Sep 7 - "Betaine rich in beet is used as an important source of human nutrition. Here we aimed to explore whether betaine supplementation can protect against acute sever ulcerative colitis (ASUC) and the underlying mechanism ... Betaine inhibits colonic oxidative stress induced inflammatory pyroptosis to alleviate ASUC, which shows therapeutic potential against colitis and other acute inflammatory disorder" - See betaine anhydrous (TMG) at Amazon.com and beet root powder at Amazon.com.
• Influence of Chronic Nitrate-Rich Beetroot Juice Supplementation on the Endurance Performance of Active Winter Triathletes: A Randomized Controlled Trial - J Am Nutr Assoc 2022 Feb 15 - "There was a significant decrease in the oxygen uptake, respiratory exchange ratio, and blood lactic acid level (p < 0.05) between the BRJ and PL treatment groups during V3 speed running (males: 13.3 km·h-1, females: 11.6 km·h-1). BRJ treatment also remarkably increased the time to exhaustion (TTE) during cycling exhaustion testing (males: p = 0.02, females: p = 0.04). No significant differences were observed in medium- or low-speed submaximal treadmill runs and 10-km XC skiing performance"
• Effect of dietary nitrate on human muscle power: a systematic review and individual participant data meta-analysis - J Int Soc Sports Nutr 2021 Oct 9 - "Acute or chronic dietary NO3- intake significantly increases maximal muscle power in humans. The magnitude of this effect-on average, ~ 5%-is likely to be of considerable practical and clinical importance" - [Nutra USA]
• Anticancer effects of root and beet leaf extracts (Beta vulgaris L.) in cervical cancer cells (HeLa) - Phytother Res 2021 Sep 8 - "Cervical cancer is the fourth leading cause of cancer mortality in women worldwide. Beetroot (Beta vulgaris L.) has bioactive compounds that can inhibit the progression of different types of cancer ... Here, we demonstrate that beetroot and leaf extracts could be an efficient strategy against cervical cancer"
• Beetroot and leaf extracts present protective effects against prostate cancer cells, inhibiting cell proliferation, migration, and growth signaling pathways - Phytother Res 2021 Jun 16 - "Beet (Beta vulgaris L.) has high nutritional value, containing bioactive compounds such as betalains and flavonoids. Scientific evidence points to the use of these natural compounds in the treatment of several types of cancer, such as prostate cancer, one of the main causes of morbidity and mortality in men. Here, we compared beet roots and leaves extracts, and their main compounds, apigenin, and betanin, respectively, in DU-145 and PC-3 prostate cancer cell lines. Both cells presented the proliferation decreased for beetroot and beet leaves extracts. The apigenin treatment also reduced the proliferation of both cell lines. Regarding cell migration, beet leaves extract was able to decrease the scratch area in both cell lines, whereas apigenin affected only PC-3 cells' migration. In colony formation assay, both extracts were effective in reducing the number of colonies formed. Besides, the beet leaves extracts and apigenin presented strong inhibition of growth-related signaling pathways in both cell lines, and the beetroot extract and betanin presented effects only in DU-145 cells"
• Beetroot and leaf extracts present protective effects against prostate cancer cells, inhibiting cell proliferation, migration, and growth signaling pathways - Phytother Res 2021 Jun 16 - "Beet (Beta vulgaris L.) has high nutritional value, containing bioactive compounds such as betalains and flavonoids. Scientific evidence points to the use of these natural compounds in the treatment of several types of cancer, such as prostate cancer, one of the main causes of morbidity and mortality in men ... This study reveals that beet extracts have important anti-cancer effects against prostate cancer cells"
• Beetroot supplemented diet exhibit anti-amnesic effect via modulation of cholinesterases, purinergic enzymes, monoamine oxidase and attenuation of redox imbalance in the brain of scopolamine treated male rats - Nutr Neurosci 2020 Oct 15 - "beetroot supplemented diet (BRSD) ... Rats were fed with BRSD (2 and 4%) for 14 days and administered with 2 mg/kg of SCOP intraperitoneally on the last day. Morris water Maze and Y-maze tests were performed to assess cognitive function ... BRSD improved cognitive function by increasing memory index in SCOP treated rats. An increase in NTPdase, ADA, MAO, and ACE activities were observed in the brain of rats treated with SCOP. However, the activities of these enzymes were significantly lower after treatment with BRSD. Treatment with BRSD triggered a significant increase in catalase activity, T-SH and NP-SH levels in SCOP-treated rats. Catechin, 6,7-benzocoumarin, gentisin, 5,7-dimethoxyflavone, and vulgaxanthin I was identified in beetroots"
• Nitrate-Rich Beetroot Juice Reduces Blood Pressure in Tanzanian Adults with Elevated Blood Pressure: A Double-Blind Randomized Controlled Feasibility Trial - J Nutr 2020 Jul 30 - "Forty-seven middle-aged and older participants (age: 50–70 y, BMI: 26.3–29.1 kg/m2) were randomly assigned to 3 conditions for a period of 60 d: 1) high-nitrate beetroot juice (∼400 mg nitrate) and folic acid (∼5 mg folic acid) (N + F), 2) high-nitrate beetroot juice and placebo (N + P), or 3) nitrate-depleted beetroot juice and placebo (P + P) ... Baseline resting systolic and diastolic BP (mean ± SD) was 151.0 ± 19.4 mm Hg and 91.8 ± 11.7 mm Hg, respectively. Compliance to the interventions was high (>90%) in all groups which was confirmed by the significant increase in nitrate and folic acid concentrations in plasma and saliva samples in the treatment arms. After 60 d, 24-h systolic BP dropped by −10.8 ± 9.8 mm Hg (P < 0.001), −6.1 ± 13.2 mm Hg (P = 0.03), and −0.3 ± 9.7 mm Hg (P = 0.83) in the N + P, N + F, and P + P groups, respectively. There was a significant decrease in 24-h diastolic BP in the N + P group (−5.4 ± 5.0 mm Hg, P = 0.004), whereas changes were not significant in the N + F (−1.8 ± 8.1 mm Hg, P = 0.32) and P + P (1.6 ± 8.3 mm Hg, P = 0.43) groups" - [Nutra USA] - See beet root capsules at Amazon.com and iHerb.  Note: Beetroot powder contains 16.47807 mg nitrate/gram.  400/16.47807 = 24.3 grams or 0.86 ounces.  24.3/0.55 = 44 of the 550 mg capsules per day (two tablets are 1,100 mg or 1.1 grams).  Let me know if my math is wrong.
• The influence of amaranth (Amaranthus hypochondriacus) dietary nitrates on the aerobic capacity of physically active young persons - "J Int Soc Sports Nutr 2020 Jul 13 - "Recent evidence indicates that elevating plasma nitrites through dietary nitrates (NO3-) supplementation is associated with enhanced muscle efficiency, fatigue resistance and performance. Beetroot (in various forms) is the dominant source of dietary NO3- primarily due to its vast availability and the simple form of preparation suitable for final consumption. After a few years of research and experimentation, our scientific team identified alternative source rich with dietary NO3- as possible nitric oxide precursor, amaranth (Amaranthus hypochondriacus) with a standardized concentration 9-11% of NO3-. This study aimed to evaluate the effect of single-dose (±400 mg of dietary NO3-) and long-term (6 days) supplementation of amaranth concentrate derived dietary NO3- on aerobic capacity in physically active young people ... The peak power of the ICE, the maximum oxygen consumption and the first ventilatory threshold were significantly increased after long-term consumption of dietary amaranth (from 4.44 ± 0.50 to 4.55 ± 0.43 W/kg; from 37.7 ± 2.7 to 41.2 ± 5.4 mL/kg/min and from 178.6 ± 30.3 to 188.6 ± 35.2 W, p < 0.05; respectively) in experimental group"
• Acute Effects of Beetroot Juice Supplements on Resistance Training: A Randomized Double-Blind Crossover - Nutrients 2020 Jun 28;12(7):E1912 - "A higher number of repetitions were recorded with BJ compared to those with PLA (13.8 ± 14.4; p < 0.01; effect size (ES) = 0.6). Differences were found at 60% 1-RM (9 ± 10; p < 0.05; ES = 0.61) and 70% 1-RM (3.1 ± 4.8; p < 0.05; ES = 0.49), however, no differences were found at 80% 1-RM (1.7 ± 1; p = 0.12; ES = 0.41). A greater number of repetitions was performed in back squat (13.4 ± 13; p < 0.01; ES = 0.77), but no differences were observed in bench press (0.4 ± 5.1; p = 0.785; ES = 0.03). No differences were found for the rest of the variables (p > 0.05). Acute supplementation of BJ improved muscular endurance performance in RT" - [Nutra USA] - See beet root capsules at Amazon.com and iHerb.
• Acute Supplementation with Nitrate-Rich Beetroot Juice Causes a Greater Increase in Plasma Nitrite and Reduction in Blood Pressure of Older Compared to Younger Adults - Nutrients 2019, 11(7), 1683 - "Nitrate-rich beetroot juice supplementation has been shown to improve cardiovascular and cognitive function in younger and older adults via increased nitric oxide production ... Older adults showed a greater elevation in plasma nitrite (p = 0.038) and a greater reduction in diastolic BP (p = 0.005) following BR consumption than younger adults. Reaction time was improved in the Stroop test following BR supplementation for both groups (p = 0.045). Acute BR supplementation increased plasma nitrite concentrations and reduced diastolic BP to a greater degree in older adults; whilst systolic BP was reduced in both older and younger adults, suggesting nitrate-rich BR may improve cardiovascular health, particularly in older adults due to the greater benefits from reductions in diastolic BP" - [Nutra USA]
• Small Amounts of Inorganic Nitrate or Beetroot Provide Substantial Protection From Salt-Induced Increases in Blood Pressure - Hypertension. 2019 May;73(5):1042-1048 - "To reduce the risk of salt-induced hypertension, medical authorities have emphasized dietary guidelines promoting high intakes of potassium and low intakes of salt that provide molar ratios of potassium to salt of ≥1:1. However, during the past several decades, relatively few people have changed their eating habits sufficiently to reach the recommended dietary goals for salt and potassium ... the Dahl salt-sensitive rat, we found that supplemental dietary sodium nitrate confers substantial protection from initiation of salt-induced hypertension when the molar ratio of added nitrate to added salt is only ≈1:170. Provision of a low molar ratio of added nitrate to added salt of ≈1:110 by supplementing the diet with beetroot also conferred substantial protection against salt-induced increases in blood pressure. The results suggest that on a molar basis and a weight basis, dietary nitrate may be ≈100× more potent than dietary potassium with respect to providing substantial resistance to the pressor effects of increased salt intake. Given that leafy green and root vegetables contain large amounts of inorganic nitrate, these findings raise the possibility that fortification of salty food products with small amounts of a nitrate-rich vegetable concentrate may provide a simple method for reducing risk for salt-induced hypertension." - [Nutra USA] - See beet root powder at Amazon.com.
• Supplementation with Beef Extract Improves Exercise Performance and Reduces Post-Exercise Fatigue Independent of Gut Microbiota - Nutrients 2018, 10(11), 1740 - "BE supplementation improved endurance and reduced fatigue, which might be related to BE composition, but had no correlation with the gut microbiota" - [Nutra USA] - See beet root powder at Amazon.com.
• Nitrate-Rich Fruit and Vegetable Supplement Reduces Blood Pressure in Normotensive Healthy Young Males without Significantly Altering Flow-Mediated Vasodilation: A Randomized, Double-Blinded, Controlled Trial - J Nutr Metab. 2018 Sep 16;2018 - "Vegetable liquid supplement (FVS ... prune juice, PRU ... In contrast to PRU, FVS significantly increased plasma nitrates and nitrites (+67%, p < 0.001) and decreased diastolic blood pressure (-9%, p=0.029) after two weeks" - [Nutra USA] - See Aged Beet Root Capsules - Beet Pills for High Blood Pressure and Stamina - Organic Beet Root Powder - Nitric Oxide Supplement - Nitrate No Sugar - 30 Capsules - Beet Root Supplement at Amazon.com.  It has a 4.8 star rating with a Fakespoke grade of 'A'.
• Beet Root Juice: An Ergogenic Aid for Exercise and the Aging Brain - J Gerontol A Biol Sci Med Sci. 2016 Nov 9 - "beet root juice (BRJ) ... 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" - See beet root powder at Amazon.com.
• Beetroot Juice Supplementation Improves High-Intensity Intermittent Type Exercise Performance in Trained Soccer Players - Nutrients. 2017 Mar 22;9(3) - "Six days of BR ingestion effectively improves high-intensity intermittent type exercise performance in trained soccer players" - [Nutra USA]