How Beet Juice Works In Simple Terms

More and more athletes are turning to beet juice, but have you ever wonder how it works? Here’s a simple explanation.

Beets contain naturally occurring nitrates. When you consume beets some of the nitrates mix with enzymes in your saliva, which converts nitrates to nitrites. The nitrites are then naturally converted to nitric oxide (“NO”).

Your body already produces NO in the endothelium layer that lines your arteries. This thin layer of cells responds to the needs of the tissues by regulating blood pressure at the local level. When the endothelium cells detect that the sheer force of blood moving through your body is too high they make nitric oxide and diffuse it into the smooth muscle layer and causes it to relax. This is called “vasodilation” where the arteries literally dilate and increase their diameter size.

Where there’s not enough NO being produced blood flow is reduced and muscles get stiff. Adding nitrate rich foods to your diet helps boosts blood flow—100% naturally. The medical industry continues discovering more benefits of nitrates, including its effects on supporting a healthy heart.