18 September 2023 , 14:00
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Health expert Dr Michael Mosley has come out with some solid diet advice for men who want to boost their sex drive without resorting to Viagra. The TV doctor has said that the humble beetroot acts on the body in a similar way to the famed 'love drug' and also has major health benefits beyond the bedroom.
According to Dr Mosley, because the hard purple root vegetable is rich in nitrates, it can help blood vessels dilate and increase blood flow to where men may need it most or, sometimes, where men might need it least. The Romans are thought to have used beetroot to increase their sex drive and it does contain chemicals believed to increase the production of sex hormones.
Helping blood vessels dilate, says Dr Mosley, also helps bring systolic blood pressure down, reducing the risk of heart attacks. As it turns out, beetroot was used to treat blood-related illnesses in the middle ages.
Speaking on 5x15 stories, Dr Mosley said: “The Romans used it as an aphrodisiac, strangely enough. The mechanism is exactly the same as in Viagra. What Viagra does is lead to the release of nitric oxide and the expansion of blood vessels, but mainly around your genitalia.
“For those who are interested the biochemistry — the sciencey bit — essentially, beetroot is rich in nitrates. Nitrates are converted by bacteria in your mouth into nitric oxide. That causes vasodilation, expansion of your blood vessels.
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Dr Michael Mosley says that beetroot can have major benefits for people's health (scu)“That's what brings your blood pressure down and what it also does, particularly with older people, it gives them a boost so they are able to become more active.”
According to the NHS, persistent high blood pressure, or hypertension, increases your risk of heart disease, heart attacks, stroke, heart failure, peripheral arterial disease, aortic aneurysms, kidney disease and vascular dementia. Research from Queen Mary University of London, funded by the British Heart Foundation, has shown that a cup of beetroot juice every day can help people suffering from hypertension to reduce their blood pressure.
Beetroot is also high in potassium, antioxidants and phytochemicals which help limit the risk of cardiovascular disease. The root vegetable is rich in folic acid, a B vitamin that helps maintain a healthy nervous system and helps carry oxygen around the body, helping with strenuous exercise whether it's in the bedroom or not.