Can beet juice lower your blood pressure?

are super beets crystals effective to improve heart health, especially blood pressure?

My blood pressure recently started running high so I was put on 20mg lisinopril daily, but after a week my bp would drop to 80/50 making me weak and dizzy. So I lowered my dose to 10mg, after a few days my bp was again dropping down to 80/50, so I stopped the lisinopril. Off the medication my bp fluctuated from 140-160 over 80-100. I take my bp at least twice a day and if it gets close to 160/100 I will take a pill. Yesterday after taking a pill my bp dropped again to 80/50, but then I had an ah-ha moment and remembered reading something recently on the Mercola website about beet juice and blood pressure, and I had a beet smoothie for breakfast. So this morning my bp was 158/95 but instead of taking a pill I had a beet smoothie. 90 minutes later my bp was 100/60 which I find amazing. I will continue tracking it through the day to see how long it stays in the normal range. Tonight I will have another beet smoothie and check my bp in the A.M. I now realize all those days in the past when my bp was dropping to 80/50 were probably the days that I was having beet smoothies. I have read about the studies where beet juice drops blood pressure a little, but raw beet smoothie really seems to drop it dramatically.

@joemac did you take the pill as needed? Blood pressure meds only work on a consistent basis. Unless you have a paradoxical reaction.

Hi @gypsyt123 You’re right, medications are most efficient when taken as directed. Have you been prescribed high blood pressure medication?

By the way, Welcome to Mayo Connect! What brought you to the forum today?

@loribmt yes, and over had paradoxical reactions to 3 so far and currently thinking it's the fillers of the medication.

Im just looking for answers, my body doesnt only react to blood pressure meds it's a lot of meds.

Hi @gypsyt123 Wow, so actually the meds you were taking to lower your BP elevated them instead? Having reactions like that is really frustrating and a bit frightening.
I’m sure you’ve tried all the dietary strategies like lowering salt intake.
Has there been any followups with your medical team to see if they can determine the cause of your high BP such as an underlying chronic kidney disease, diabetes, other medications?

@loribmt
I was on amlodipine and it stabilized it enough but made it hard to breathe and swelled my legs. Then my doctors fill in while she was on maternity leave switched me to losartan and it wouldn't lower after the 11 days of amlodipines clearing or even after so she upped the dose to 10mg and added hydralazine as needed, both debilitated me so she upped losartan to 100mg and it debilitated me even worse. So when I seen my own doctor she told me to go down to 25 until I seen a cardiologist. The cardiologist wanted me to take a beta blocker and I refused my levels are not that bad and it only started from a very bad strenuous job for 5 years so now im on nothing and trying to eat well and drink enough water. My pressures are in the 130s/80-90s range and she did check my kidneys, theyre great, blood work is great, I have a heart monitor on as we speak, mri of my head tomorrow, and a heart echo in 2 weeks.

@gypsyt123 You’ve surely had some negative reactions to those meds! Can’t blame you for trying to get your BP under control yourself. A stressful job can really impact health! My husband’s BP dropped dramatically after he retired.

Thinking of you this morning and sending positive wishes for only good news with the MRI and upcoming tests! Are these tests in relation to your BP?

@loribmt
I agree! I'm out of that job and trying to recover. Im trying to figure out all out on my own, bc it's hard when doctors don't understand what you're saying. I had all sorts of tests ran in 2023 as well and nothing was ever found so they continued me on the bp meds. The lowest dose i can tolerate but when it gets into higher doses my body goes into panic mode. I was anemic with a ferritin of 9, b12 and vitamin D were on the lowest end as well in 2024 and once that was getting controlled things got better but when the last lady switched to losartan my body went into straight I hate this and you mode. I spent my birthday seeing 165/112 go up and down went to the e.r 2x this last month and my labs were good so they sent me home. It has to be from the job. And thank you, they are looking for blood pressure issues, she said the MRI is to see if there is a growth messing with my hormones, idk, bc my lab work my hormones and adrenals are fine, my electrolytes are fine, everything is good and ive lost 9 pounds from not being able to really eat on the losartan.