A diet rich in vegetables has been associated with lower risk of many illnesses, including heart disease.  However, vegetable consumption in the U.S. has fallen over the past decade.

Researchers conducted a study to determine whether drinking vegetable juice is a practical way of closing the gap between dietary recommendations and vegetable intake.  Volunteers received 0, 8 or 16 fluid ounces of vegetable juice daily for 12 weeks.

According to Food Navigator:

“Compared to public health recommendations of 4 servings per day, average vegetable intake for all groups, without counting vegetable juice, was 2.6 servings per day after 6 weeks and 2.3 servings per day after 12 weeks.  But once the vegetable juice was counted, the participants [who received it] were able to reach the daily recommendations.”

A study published in the Journal of Applied Physiology may lead to a healthy alternative to caffeine-loaded energy drinks.

According to AOL Health and the Associated Press, in a study in England, cyclists who drank a half-liter (about a half-quart) of beetroot juice several hours before setting off were able to ride up to 20 percent longer than those who drank a placebo blackcurrant juice. In the US, beetroot is known as the common red garden beet.

The English study showed that drinking the juice worked for performance, even without additional training. According to AOL Health:

(Researchers) calculated beetroot juice could translate into a 1 to 2 percent better race time, a tiny improvement likely only to matter to elite athletes. They are still tweaking the dosage but say athletes should consume the juice a few hours before training so their body has time to digest it.

Previous studies in both the US and Britain have found beetroot also helps the heart by lowering blood pressure, AOL Health said.

test 123 – HP Kid video

Test post on 27thAug2010 in EMF -2