Drinking beetroot juice before exercise could take years off your brain, research suggested in April 2017.
Combining the drink with exercise strengthens certain regions of the brain, making it appear more youthful and potentially preventing the organ’s decline, a study found.
This finding could help people who are at risk of brain deterioration to remain functionally independent, such as those with a family history of dementia, according to the researchers.
Drinking beetroot juice before exercise could take years off your brain
Beetroot juice’s power likely lies in its nitric-oxide content, with past research suggesting this both increases blood flow to the brain and improves exercise performance.
Study author Professor Jack Rejeski, from Wake Forest University, North Carolina said: ‘Nitric oxide is a really powerful molecule. It goes to the areas of the body which are hypoxic, or needing oxygen, and the brain is a heavy feeder of oxygen in your body.
‘Compared to exercise alone, adding a beetroot juice supplement to exercise resulted in brain connectivity that closely resembles what you see in younger adults.’
The researchers analysed 26 men and women aged 55 and over who did not exercise and had high blood pressure.
Some participants were given beetroot juice one hour before walking for 50 minutes on a treadmill, while others did the same exercise but without the drink. This was repeated three times a week for six weeks.