One of my least favorite foods is beets. Nonetheless, I’m passing along results of a new study about beet juice. Penn State researchers were armed with the knowledge that risk of heart disease increases dramatically after women go through menopause. Participants consumed a two-point-three ounce bottle of nitrate-rich beetroot juice every morning for a week. Several weeks later, tests showed how well their blood vessel function improved compared to nitrate-free beetroot juice. Authors say, while the long-term benefits are not yet available, they believe beetroot juice, daily, can be very useful in protecting women during a period when heart disease risk increases significantly. The study appears in the journal Frontiers of Nutrition.