Could beetroot juice alleviate obesity-related health implications?

Beetroot juice is believed to help with cognitive function, lower blood pressure and improve stamina during exercise because of the nitrates in the vegetable that aid the body in better utilizing oxygen. A new study at the University of Alabama at Birmingham is recruiting participants for a study that looks at beetroot juice components, dietary nitrate and antioxidants, and their independent effects on exercise tolerance and health benefits in individuals with obesity.

"We are looking to assess how beetroot juice could help individuals with obesity increase exercise performance and stamina alongside improvements in their cardiometabolic health," said Gordon Fisher, Ph.D., associate professor in the UAB School of Education Department of Human Studies. "We are also interested in determining whether exercise improvement and the health benefits of beetroot juice are due to the high inorganic nitrate within the product, the antioxidant compounds within the product or a combination of the two compounds."

This study plays a role in the hopes of finding novel cost-effective nutritional strategies that can combat adverse health outcomes associated with poor dietary behaviors and low physical activity. Dietary habits continue to worsen as energy-dense, nutrient-poor food items become increasingly popular.

Investigators hope the study will build upon previous studies by assessing the health benefits of beetroot juice in an obese cohort of men and women, and also by identifying the specific bioactive compounds that are linked to these improvements. Additionally, to date, there have been no studies assessing the effect of beetroot juice on exercise tolerance in obese adults.