Nitrate Derived From Beetroot Juice Lowers Blood Pressure in Patients With Arterial Hypertension: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.
Level 1 - systematic review of randomized trials
Systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials
PubMed 35369064 · doi:10.3389/fnut.2022.823039
What was done
Authors conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis of single- or double-blind randomized controlled trials searched across EMBASE, Cochrane Library, MEDLINE, CINAHL, Web of Science, and LILACS. The analysis included adult patients with arterial hypertension (systolic BP > 130 mmHg and diastolic BP > 80 mmHg) who received nitrate-rich beetroot juice versus a blinded control, reporting pre- and post-intervention blood pressure. Risk of bias and GRADE certainty were formally assessed.
What was found
Seven RCTs comprising 218 total participants were analyzed, with daily doses ranging from 70 to 250 mL of beetroot juice and intervention durations from 3 to 60 days. Compared to controls, nitrate from beetroot juice produced a significant reduction in systolic blood pressure of -4.95 mmHg (95% CI: -8.88 to -1.01; p < 0.001; GRADE: Moderate). Diastolic blood pressure change was not statistically significant at -0.90 mmHg (95% CI: -3.16 to 1.36; p = 0.06; GRADE: Moderate).
Why it matters
This meta-analysis provides pooled quantitative evidence that dietary nitrate from beetroot juice can produce modest reductions in systolic blood pressure in individuals with hypertension.
Limits
The total pooled sample size across the seven included trials was small (218 participants). Study durations were short (3 to 60 days), and daily doses varied widely (70 to 250 mL). Long-term clinical cardiovascular outcomes, adverse events, and interactions with antihypertensive medications were not reported in the abstract.
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