Background: Hypertension is a growing public health concern, even among young adults. Dietary nitrate supplementation, particularly from natural sources like beetroot juice, has shown potential in maintaining optimal blood pressure (BP) levels. This study assessed the effectiveness of beetroot juice in reducing systolic and diastolic blood pressure among normotensive nursing students. Methods: A quasi-experimental one-group pre-test post-test design was employed among 50 normotensive nursing students aged 18–22 years from a selected nursing college in Tumkur. Participants consumed 250 ml of freshly prepared beetroot juice (150 g beetroot blended with 100 ml water) every morning on an empty stomach for 28 consecutive days. Blood pressure was measured before and after the intervention. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and paired t-tests. Results: The mean systolic blood pressure (SBP) reduced from 124.2 ± 6.8 mmHg (pre-test) to 117.6 ± 5.9 mmHg (post-test), and the mean diastolic blood pressure (DBP) decreased from 82.4 ± 5.4 mmHg to 76.8 ± 4.6 mmHg. The differences were statistically significant (p < 0.001).
Conclusion: Daily consumption of beetroot juice significantly lowers systolic and diastolic blood pressure in normotensive young adults. This natural, cost-effective intervention holds promise as a non-pharmacological strategy to maintain cardiovascular health and prevent early onset of hypertension.
