Beetroot juice: effects on blood pressure, intraocular pressure, and ocular vessel density in healthy adults

Background: The blood pressure (BP)-lowering effect of beetroot is attributed to its high nitrate concentration, which converts to the vasodilator nitric oxide. Nitric oxide may also mediate ocular aqueous outflow to regulate intraocular pressure (IOP). Aims: We investigated the effect of beetroot juice on IOP and ocular vessel density. Subjects and Methods: With a single-blind, crossover design, 19 healthy young adults participated on 2 days 1 week apart. On Visit 1, baseline IOP, BP, and ocular vessel density (optical coherence tomography angiography, disc, and macula) were measured. Three hours after consumption of 16 ounces of beetroot juice or water (randomly assigned), all measurements were repeated. On Visit 2, baseline and 3-hour post-consumption measurements were assessed, with each subject consuming the drink not ingested on Visit 1. Results: Paired-samples t-test showed 1) no difference in IOP change post-water vs post-beet root juice (P = 0.27), and 2) mean systolic and diastolic BPs were lower only post-beet root juice (systolic: -4.8 (SEM ± 2.1) mm Hg, P = 0.032, 95% CI (0.47, 9.11); diastolic: -6.2 (SEM± 1.4) mm Hg, P <0.001, 95% CI (3.27, 9.15)). Superficial vessel density was significantly lower in several macular regions post-beet root juice, but not post-water (Wilcoxon signed ranks test, immediately superior, inferior, and temporal to center; respective P values of 0.016, 0.035, and 0.046). Conclusions: Beetroot juice lowers BP and macular vessel density, but does not lower IOP in young, healthy adults. Further investigation into its effect on IOP and vessel density in glaucomatous eyes is warranted. Keywords: beetroot, blood pressure, intraocular pressure, vessel density.

Effect of beetroot supplementation on 10 km time trial performance of distance runners

Objective: To find out the effect of 15 days of beetroot juice (BRJ) supplementation on 10 km time trial performance in trained distance runners of University level.Methods: Thirty trained athletes,15 males age = 26.3 y ± 1.52, height 170.5 ± 0.2 cm, and 15 females, age = 25.2 y ± 1.30, height 157.8 ± 0.3 cm were selected for the present study. Two experimental and two control groups were made consisting of males and females separately. The first group of male and female (Experimental Group) consumed the BRJdaily 250 ml/dayand the second group (Control Group) did not consume beetroot juice. Both groups underwent a regular athletics training programme. All the subjects were tested on Ten Km Time Trial (TT)performance before supplementation of BRJ and after 15 days of supplementation of BRJ. Results: The significant effect of BRJ supplementationwas observed (p < 0.05) between pre and post measures of 10 km TT in experimental group. BRJ supplementation significantly improved performance in 10 km TT in both groups (respectively male; P< 0.006; F=11.09, ES = .480, female; P < 0.000, F=40.45, ES = .771.Conclusion: Consumption of BRJ250 ml/day in improved 10 km time trial performance in traineddistance runners.

NUTRITIONAL APPROACHES TOWARDS PREVENTION AND TREATMENT OF DCLD

Decompensated chronic liver disease (DCLD) is also known as decompensating cirrhosis. Cirrhosis is a chronic liver disease that is commonly resulting of hepatitis or alcohol use disorder. It is the severe scarring of liver seen at the terminal stages of chronic liver disease. The diet of patients with chronic liver disease is based on a standard diet with supplements addition as necessary. Restrictions may be harmful and should be individualized. In this study we detailed a patient having decompensated chronic liver disease and observed all require parameter in dietary management. The patient undertook a dietary counselling for 16 days and dietary modification was done according to the patient condition. The HB level was 9.1g/dl, so beetroot juice in the mid-morning and soybean and 2 egg whites were suggested to increase the protein level. Later it was seen that Hb level was increased to 9.9g/dl and protein level was increased to 6g/dl. Also, the potassium level was below normal, so coconut water suggested. what to avoid and what to include and a sample menu and a diet chat was given to the patient at the time of discharge. Malnutrition is a potentially reversible condition that, when identified and treated appropriately, can lead to improvement of the outcomes of patients with DCLD.

Beetroot juice — a suitable post-marathon metabolic recovery supplement?

Background Red beetroot (Beta vulgaris L.) is a multifunctional functional food that reportedly exhibits potent anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, vasodilation, and cellular regulatory properties. This vegetable has gained a fair amount of scientific attention as a possible cost-effective supplement to enhance performance and expedite recovery after physical exercise. To date, no study has investigated the effects of incremental beetroot juice ingestion on the metabolic recovery of athletes after an endurance race. Considering this, as well as the beneficial glucose and insulin regulatory roles of beetroot, this study investigated the effects of beetroot juice supplementation on the metabolic recovery trend of athletes within 48 h after completing a marathon. Methods By employing an untargeted two-dimensional gas chromatography time-of-flight mass spectrometry approach, serum samples (collected pre-, post-, 24 h post-, and 48 h post-marathon) of 31 marathon athletes that ingested a series (n = 7; 250 ml) of either beetroot juice (n = 15 athletes) or isocaloric placebo (n = 16 athletes) supplements within 48 h post-marathon, were analysed and statistically compared. Results The metabolic profiles of the beetroot-ingesting cohort recovered to a pre-marathon-related state within 48 h post-marathon, mimicking the metabolic recovery trend observed in the placebo cohort. Since random inter-individual variation was observed immediately post-marathon, only metabolites with large practical significance (p-value ≤0.05 and d-value ≥0.5) within 24 h and 48 h post-marathon were considered representative of the effects of beetroot juice on metabolic recovery. These (n = 4) mainly included carbohydrates (arabitol and xylose) and odd-chain fatty acids (nonanoate and undecanoate). The majority of these were attributed to beetroot content and possible microbial fermentation thereof. Conclusion Apart from the global metabolic recovery trends of the two opposing cohorts, it appears that beetroot ingestion did not expedite metabolic recovery in athletes within 48 h post-marathon.

Effectiveness of Beet Root Juice on Reduction of Blood Pressure among People with Hypertension at Sothupakkam, Kanchipuram District

Aim: Effectiveness of beet root juice on reduction of blood pressure among people with hypertension at Sothupakkam, Kanchipuram district Objectives: (i) to assess the level of blood pressure among people with hypertension residing at Sothupakkam. (ii) to evaluate the effectiveness of beetroot juice on reduction of blood pressure among people with hypertension (iii) to find out the association between effectiveness of beetroot juice on reduction of blood pressure with the selected demographic variables. Methodology: Researcher adopted the quantitative research approach, one group pre test and post test design, study samples with the age group 25-65 years old for 60 samples at Sothupakkam Kanchipuram district using purposive sampling technique Results: The findings of the study was pre and post systolic mean difference 30.66 with the standard deviation 10.39 and applying paired ‘t’ test value 22.8 and pre and post diastolic mean difference 17.33 with standard deviation 10.22 and applying the paired ‘t’ test value 13.1 since the calculated value was greater than the table value at 0.05 level of significance. Hence it was significant improvement in reduction of blood pressure among people with hypertension. It has shown that the consumption of beet root juice was effective Conclusion: The present study was conducted in sothupakkam village with the sample size 60 people with hypertension and they had been administered with the beet root juice on reduction of blood pressure which showed the remarkable changes in the health status of the susceptible of people with hypertension and they had give the feedback regarding the effectiveness of the natural home remedy. Keywords: Beet root juice, hypertension, high blood pressure.

Effect of Spray Dryer Scale Size on the Properties of Dried Beetroot Juice

Experiments detailing the spray drying of fruit and vegetable juices are necessary at the experimental scale in order to determine the optimum drying conditions and to select the most appropriate carriers and solution formulations for drying on the industrial scale. In this study, the spray-drying process of beetroot juice concentrate on a maltodextrin carrier was analyzed at different dryer scales: mini-laboratory (ML), semi-technical (ST), small industrial (SI), and large industrial (LI). Selected physicochemical properties of the beetroot powders that were obtained (size and microstructure of the powder particles, loose and tapped bulk density, powder flowability, moisture, water activity, violet betalain, and polyphenol content) and their drying efficiencies were determined. Spray drying with the same process parameters but at a larger scale makes it possible to obtain beetroot powders with a larger particle size, better flowability, a color that is more shifted towards red and blue, and a higher retention of violet betalain pigments and polyphenols. As the size of the spray dryer increases, the efficiency of the process expressed in powder yield also increases. To obtain a drying efficiency >90% on an industrial scale, process conditions should be selected to obtain an efficiency of a min. of 50% at the laboratory scale or 80% at the semi-technical scale. Designing the industrial process for spray dryers with a centrifugal atomization system is definitely more effective at the semi-technical scale with the same atomization system than it is at laboratory scale with a two-fluid nozzle.

Potential Effect of Beetroot Juice Supplementation on Exercise Economy in Well-Trained Females

This study examined if acute dietary nitrate supplementation (140 ml beetroot juice, BRJ) would reduce oxygen consumption (V̇O2) during cycling at power outputs of 50 and 70% V̇O2max in 14 well-trained female Canadian University Ringette League athletes. BRJ had no effect on VO2 or heart rate but significantly reduced ratings of perceived exertion (RPE) at both intensities. Individually, 4 participants responded to BRJ supplementation with a ≥3% reduction in V̇O2 at the higher power output. • Acute BRJ supplementation did not improve exercise economy in well-trained females, but significantly reduced RPE. However, 4/14 subjects did respond with a ≥3% V̇O2 reduction.

Plasmodium metabolite HMBPP stimulates feeding of main mosquito vectors on blood and artificial toxic sources

Recent data show that parasites manipulate the physiology of mosquitoes and human hosts to increase the probability of transmission. Here, we investigate phagostimulant activity of Plasmodium-metabolite, (E)-4-hydroxy-3-methyl-but-2-enyl pyrophosphate (HMBPP), in the primary vectors of multiple human diseases, Anopheles coluzzii, An. arabiensis, An. gambiae s.s., Aedes aegypti, and Culex pipiens/Culex torrentium complex species. The addition of 10 µM HMBPP to blood meals significantly increased feeding in all the species investigated. Moreover, HMBPP also exhibited a phagostimulant property in plant-based-artificial-feeding-solution made of beetroot juice adjusted to neutral pH similar to that of blood. The addition of AlbuMAXTM as a lipid/protein source significantly improved the feeding rate of An. gambiae s.l. females providing optimised plant-based-artificial-feeding-solution for delivery toxins to control vector populations. Among natural and synthetic toxins tested, only fipronil sulfone did not reduce feeding. Overall, the toxic-plant-based-artificial-feeding-solution showed potential as an effector in environmentally friendly vector-control strategies.