Dietary Beetroot Juice – Effects in Patients with COPD: A Review

Abstract

Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) exerts a severe toll on human health and the economy, with high prevalence and mortality rates. The search for bioactive components effective in the treatment of COPD has become a focal point of research. Beetroot juice, readily accessible and cost-effective, is noted for its ability to enhance athletic performance and for its preventive and therapeutic impact on hypertension. Beetroot juice is a rich source of dietary nitrates and modulates physiological processes via the nitrate-nitrite- nitric oxide pathway, exerting multiple beneficial effects such as antihypertensive, bronchodilatory, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, hypoglycemic, and lipid-lowering actions. This paper provides a review of the existing research on the effects of beetroot juice on COPD, summarizing its potential in enhancing exercise capacity, lowering blood pressure, improving vascular function, and ameliorating sleep quality among patients with COPD. The review serves as a reference for the prospective use of beetroot juice in the symptomatic improvement of COPD, as well as in the prevention of exacerbations and associated comorbidities.

Keywords:

• chronic obstructive pulmonary disease
• beetroot
• nitrates
• nitric oxide
• exercise
• vascular function

Acknowledgments

We extend our heartfelt gratitude to all the early researchers referenced in the bibliography of this study.

Disclosure

The authors report no conflicts of interest in this work.

Additional information

Funding

The Science and Technology Projects of Gansu Province (grant number 20YF8FA082) provided financial support for this work. The funder did not participate in any aspect of the study, including its design, data collection and analysis, or in the preparation of the manuscript.