More than 70% of U.S. adults ages 60 and over have high blood pressure — yet only one in four of those people have their blood pressure under control, often because they don't take their prescribed medications.

If that describes you — whether because you don't like your medications’ side effects or are simply neglecting your health — it's important to find and take a blood pressure medication that works for you.

You need to get your blood pressure under control. Otherwise, you're two and a half times more likely to have a stroke, and almost twice as likely to have a heart attack than those with their blood pressure well-controlled.

Now there's another smart step to take (with a doctor’s okay) for those over 60: Drink a shot of concentrated beet juice twice a day.

According to a new study in the journal Free Radical Biology and Medicine, doing that helps older people lower blood pressure by reshaping their oral biome so their mouth contains more beneficial bacteria and fewer harmful ones.

That leads to the more effective conversion of dietary nitrates from spinach, kale, root vegetables, and celery into nitric acid — a molecule that's essential for vascular health and flexibility, which are keys to lower blood pressure.

On average, study participants saw a seven-point drop in their systolic pressure (the top number).

Take your blood pressure meds as prescribed, adopt a plant-based diet that delivers healthy nitrates from root veggies such as beets, and ask your doctor about using beet concentrate.

For great blood pressure friendly recipes, check out my "What to Eat When Cookbook."