Jump-Start Your Brain with This Morning Juice
Get more blood flowing to your brain -- and more clever thoughts flowing from it -- by drinking a little beet juice in the morning.
Like every other part of your body, your brain requires good blood flow in order to function quickly and effectively. And research shows that a morning shot of beet juice may help ensure good circulation to your cranium.
Brainy Beets
Why beet juice instead of apple or orange? Beets are a good source of nitrates, helpful little substances that get converted into nitrites by bacteria in our saliva. And nitrites do a world of good for blood vessels, helping them to relax and better assist blood flow and oxygen circulation. When researchers recently upped participants' nitrate intake by having them drink 16 ounces of beet juice with breakfast, among other dietary changes, a brain scan done just a day later showed noticeably better blood flow to white matter in the frontal-lobe region of the brain, an area where blood flow often suffers over time.
Go with the Flow
As you might guess, nitrites can help your blood pressure, too, thanks to that same action of helping blood vessels relax. But beets are not your only source. You can snag similar nutritional benefits from fresh nonprocessed foods like celery, fennel, leeks, leafy greens, and cabbage.
Like every other part of your body, your brain requires good blood flow in order to function quickly and effectively. And research shows that a morning shot of beet juice may help ensure good circulation to your cranium.
Brainy Beets
Why beet juice instead of apple or orange? Beets are a good source of nitrates, helpful little substances that get converted into nitrites by bacteria in our saliva. And nitrites do a world of good for blood vessels, helping them to relax and better assist blood flow and oxygen circulation. When researchers recently upped participants' nitrate intake by having them drink 16 ounces of beet juice with breakfast, among other dietary changes, a brain scan done just a day later showed noticeably better blood flow to white matter in the frontal-lobe region of the brain, an area where blood flow often suffers over time.
Go with the Flow
As you might guess, nitrites can help your blood pressure, too, thanks to that same action of helping blood vessels relax. But beets are not your only source. You can snag similar nutritional benefits from fresh nonprocessed foods like celery, fennel, leeks, leafy greens, and cabbage.
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