A new study that came out recently says that taking a cup of beetroot juice can help to reduce blood pressure.  Nitrate-rich vegetables like lettuce, cabbage, beetroot, etc have a relaxing effect on the blood vessels which might bring down the blood pressure slightly. 

This brings us back to the basic nutritional guideline of eating more vegetables for blood pressure control and better health.

What’s common to eggplant (aka brinjal, aubergine), dark grapes, beetroot, plums, figs, cranberries, some cabbages?  Their natural purple color.   The purple color comes from anthocyanins which are naturally occuring chemicals in the plant.  These are superlative antioxidants and help to fight cancer.  There’s more research going on with anthocyanins and their health benefits.  The purple foods are also good sources of vitamin C, and / or contain antioxidants like resveratrol, quercetin, etc.

Make sure you eat at least one purple food every week.