South Florida Sun-Sentinel Palm Beach (Sunday)
Beet juice worked wonders for one reader who exercises
Q: I began exercising vigorously to lower high blood pressure. I read a university study showing that beet juice increased athletic performance up to 15% over the previous best performance in elite athletes.
The maximum benefit was 2.5 hours after drinking the juice.
I’m an old lady rather than an elite athlete, but I began following the study protocol. Soon I lost 25 pounds without dieting, was able to achieve dead lifts at 100 pounds and barbell squats with 65 pounds.
Also, I read that beet juice lowers blood pressure, and it lowered mine much more than medication. The nitrate in the juice gradually relaxes blood vessels; muscles get more oxygen, increasing strength and endurance. I chop raw beets, blend them with water and slowly drink a cup about two hours before I head to the gym.
A: We are impressed with your exercise program.
You are probably aware that resistance training like weightlifting can reduce arterial stiffness (Journal of Clinical Medicine, Aug. 7, 2021).
That, in turn, helps with blood pressure control.
A recent review of seven randomized controlled trials shows that beet root juice rich in nitrate lowers systolic high blood pressure (Frontiers in Nutrition, March 15, 2022).
That’s the first, or higher, number in a blood pressure reading. The diastolic pressure did not change when volunteers consumed beet juice.
Q: My favorite home remedy is plantain for bee stings. Just take a leaf, chew it up (or instruct the person with a bee sting to chew it without swallowing it) and put the resulting paste on the bee sting. The pain will go away almost immediately. A good garden has lots of bees, and they don’t like large numbers of people in their space.
A: Thanks for sharing this remedy. There are several species of plantain (Plantago sp.) that grow like weeds in North American gardens. According to a Kaiser Permanente website, a poultice of Plantago leaves might be a useful remedy for insect bites. The German Commission E, which has evaluated evidence for herbal medicines, approved its topical use for skin inflammation. We should emphasize that this is the green weed plantain, not the green banana (Musa x paradisiaca), also called plantain.
Q: As a cardiologist, I am outraged that there is a critical shortage of contrast media for heart CT scans. We use this during coronary angiograms to visualize arteries and see where there may be blockages. It tells whether a patient needs surgery or stents and also helps us see if there are blood clots in the lungs. All of these require urgent treatment, so not having contrast puts lives at risk. A country that can’t manage access to such essential medications is sick!
A: The United States is highly dependent on foreign suppliers for indispensable medical supplies, including the iodine solution that provides contrast on CT scans. In the most recent shortage, a factory in Shanghai, China, shut down to slow the spread of COVID-19. As a result, hospitals in the U.S. are running out. Unfortunately, drug shortages are not rare events. Even before the pandemic, many health care systems reported difficulties accessing critical medications. Without significant changes in the way we manage our supply chains, shortages are likely to continue.
In their column, Joe and Teresa Graedon answer letters from readers. Send questions to them via www .peoplespharmacy.com.