There is no denying that eating fruits and vegetables has a positive and quantitative effect on one’s health and immunity. They supplement a unique combination of nutrients, vitamins, antioxidants, and minerals into your diet. They also help in the detoxification that eradicates toxins from the body.
One such superfood is beetroot or beets, the star in popular smoothies nowadays. It has been promoted by many health professionals and nutritionists to be eaten for its bounty of vitamins and minerals.`
Beetroot may not be the first pick in your diet, but it should not be missed out from your grocery haul.
Nutritional Facts of Beetroot
Beetroot may seem a little muddy at first instance, but that’s normal after all. It’s a root vegetable with long stems, thick skin, and reddish-purple colour. Beets taste earthy and a little bitter, but they’re best when paired with bright, sweet, and fresh flavours.
Nutritional Information of beetroots for 100 gms –
| Nutrient | Amount |
|---|---|
| Energy | 43 kcal |
| Carbohydrates | 8.8 g |
| Dietary fibre | 3.5 g |
| Fats | 0.1 g |
| Protein | 1.7 g |
With its vibrant colour, beetroot is also a versatile root vegetable, high in nitrates, betalain pigments, and fibre and a great source of various vitamins and minerals like folate, magnesium, potassium, vitamin B-6, iron, thiamine, riboflavin, glutamine, zinc, copper, and selenium, with established use in blood circulation, menstruation, and hepatobiliary disorders.
The significance of dietary nitrates found in beetroot is effective in the treatment of hypertension by contributing to endothelial nitric oxide production.
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It acts as a vasodilator, thereby increasing the perfusion of blood in tissues and helping in better erection and lowering the rate of cholesterol build-up in the arteries, which may cause a heart attack.
The impressive resume doesn’t end up here, and it’s no shock that beetroot is helpful to boost your athletic performance and help you live longer by promoting health.
9 Proven Health Benefits of Beetroot
Below are the 9 benefits that you will enjoy in your beetroot-rich diet:
1. Beetroot Lowers Blood Pressure
Nitric oxide present in beetroot acts as a vasodilator, thereby increasing the perfusion of blood in tissues. Many studies have shown that the increase in nitric oxide that occurs after eating beets may help lower blood pressure in healthy people.
Read more: Ways to Control High Blood Pressure without Medication
That is because nitrates in beets help blood vessels relax, thus lowering the high blood pressure state. For people with high blood pressure, adding a 200-250mL glass of beetroot juice or adding 80-100 grams of beet to salads daily will assist in reducing hypertension or blood flow disorders and help maintain healthier levels.
2. Beetroot Prevents Anaemia
Many may believe that beetroot’s red colour only helps prevent anaemia. However, studies conclude that beetroot juice comprises a lot of iron and folic acid that helps in the formation of red blood cells which carries oxygen and nutrients throughout the different parts of the body to ensure healthy blood count.
Read more: Anemia Diet – Foods to Eat and Avoid
It is a fact that the regeneration of RBCs is imperative to help prevent menstrual disorders in women, anaemia, and symptoms of menopause in women by having just regular beetroot juice.
3. Beetroot Boosts Athletic Performance
With all the nutrients, beets certainly pack a punch in your workout. When you supplement with beetroot juice/ or eat raw, you could run faster, and longer, with less perceived exertion. The sugar present in it gives you an immediate energy boost while supplementing extra nitrates and iron.
A 2016 study in the European Journal of Applied Physiology gave 30 physically active men varying doses of beet juice or a placebo after they completed 100 drop jumps.
Those who received the beet juice had less inflammation, quicker muscle recovery, and reported less soreness than those who received a placebo. Thus, it’s safe to say that nitrates from beet juice reduce muscle fatigue.
4. Beetroot has Antioxidant Properties
Antioxidant properties of food help defend the cells from damage and increase the blood antioxidant levels that help our body from harmful free radicals. If free radicals levels rise inside the body, they may cause oxidative stress which damages your DNA and cell structure.
Studies prove that beetroot is packed with super antioxidants like rutin, epicatechin and caffeic acid that help suppress inflammation, relieve osteoarthritis pain significantly and have many other health benefits.
Also based on a FRAP (ferric reducing ability of plasma) analysis (a measure of antioxidants in the food), beets contain up to 1.7 mmol of antioxidants per 3.5 ounces (100 grams). That is evidence that it lowers the risk of cancers in the colon and digestive tract.
5. Beetroot Helps in Constipation
Beetroot is high in fibre. It is highly beneficial in regulating your digestive processes and easing the bowel movement to offer quick relief from constipation.
Betalains present in beetroot is an agent thought to help maintain good overall digestive health. Drinking beet juice or having boiled beets can offer quick relief from constipation.
However, a certain percentage of the population can experience an odd side effect. It may change the consistency and colour of your stool and urine. But there’s nothing to worry about. In technical terms, red beetroot pigments in urine or stool are called beeturia, which is thought to be mostly harmless.
6. Beetroot Promotes Healthy Brain Function
Beetroot also contains significant amounts of boron, which relate to the production of human sex hormones, and aid in increasing brain function and concentration power.
In fact, for maintaining a healthy brain function and warding off dementia (symptoms of impairment in memory, communication, and thinking) beetroot is effective. Nitric oxide and boron found in the beetroot is effective to hit the blood flow at pace and promote cognitive function as we age.
7. Beetroot Act as a Natural Viagra
The link between using beetroot as a natural Viagra is not a recent discovery. It came from the ancient Roman time when they first use red beets as a folk remedy to treat erectile dysfunction and impotence as an aphrodisiac.
And till today, beetroot juice has been used directly to benefit women’s and men’s libido. Research has confirmed that beetroot juice contributes to treating this because it is high in nitrates.
The nitric oxide serves as a vasodilator to open up the blood vessels so the pressure can be maintained in the corpus cavernosum (an erectile tissue). So when the next time an erection occurs, the tissue engorged with blood will trigger a strong erection.
8. Beetroot Helps in Detoxification
Beets naturally detoxify your body from harmful toxins with the help of a group of phytonutrients called betalains. Betalains present in beetroot purify the blood, skin, and liver and boost the functionality of the body in a great way.
It also protects the liver from oxidative damage and inflammation, all while amplifying its natural detoxification enzymes. So to kick-start your metabolism and provide powerful antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and detoxification properties, beetroot is a powerful cleanser while being highly nutritious at the same time.
9. Nutrient-rich while having very low calorie
Beets are super low in calories, with only 60 calories per cup. That includes about 13 grams of carbohydrates, and also 4 grams of fibre — which helps you stay fuller for longer!
The list doesn’t end here. The presence of micronutrients and phytonutrient content is where beets shine. It is loaded with potassium (442 milligrams per cup), folate (or vitamin B9), manganese, magnesium, and vitamin C while still being low in calories—only 30 per half-cup. Grate them raw over a salad, or find them in the pickled variety! It will go well.
2 Healthy Recipes from Beetroots
1. Beetroot shots Recipe:
Beautiful to look at and yummy to taste, these beetroot shots are made with fewer ingredients like spinach, ginger, and lemon juice to make it stand out with its contrasting bright pink colour which is sure to win hearts. Try it for your summer drink!
Ingredients needed:
- 2 medium beetroots, peeled and roughly chopped
- 8-10 leaves of spinach
- small piece ginger
- 1 green chilli
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- Pink salt
Preparation Steps to be followed:
- In a blender, add all ingredients and 2½ cups of water.
- Blend to a smooth consistency.
- Pour in shot glasses and serve
2. BeetRoot Chilla:
Ingredients needed:
- 1 cup besan or gram flour
- ¾ cup roasted oats flour
- Pinch of asafoetida
- 3/4 tsp carom seeds
- ½ tsp turmeric powder
- ½ cup coriander leaves
- sea salt to taste
- 2 beetroots (grated or pureed)
- 1 tsp flaxseed powder
- 1 tsp Desi Ghee for cooking
Preparation Steps to be followed:
- Mix all ingredients in a bowl except ghee and mix well until smooth consistency.
- Heat a Tawa and grease with ghee.
- Pour a ladle of batter and spread like a crepe
- Cook for 2-3 minutes or until lightly brown and flip. Cook both sides until well cooked and serve hot.
Summary
Beetroots are a great addition to most diets. It can be eaten in several ways without much preparation. Beets are more versatile than we give them credit for.
The packaged antioxidants and a bundle of other nutrients and vitamins make beetroot an excellent anti-ageing and immune-boosting vegetable root that can’t be ignored in any salad plate or vegetable juice ever served.
Pay close attention even to the beet greens, and ensure they are firm too; the greener they are the more nutrients they are packed inside. This helps you group 9 benefits listed here and more, which facilitates you to live healthily for longer. If you enjoyed this article, you can find more on our website HealthifyMe!
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
1. Does the beet cause blood sugar spikes?
A. No. Beetroots are rich in phytonutrients that have been shown to have a regulating effect on glucose and insulin.
2. What are the side effects of eating beetroot?
A. Beet is safe for most people in controlled portions. Beets sometimes make urine or stools pink or red which is thought to be mostly harmless in most cases. Eating too many beets might make kidney disease worse and cause low calcium levels.
3. How much beetroot juice or supplement I should take while I work out?
A. Beetroot juice 200 ml an hour before exercise or Baked/boiled beetroot (200 grams) taken 75 minutes before exercise is the recommended dosage. Beetroot concentrate 50 mg twice daily for about 6 days has been used for better workout performance. Furthermore, 200 ml of fresh beetroot juice post a heavy workout is great for muscle recovery and reduces soreness.
4. Do I need to worry about red beetroot pigments found in urine or stool after eating?
A: Red beetroot pigments in urine or stool are called beeturia, which is thought to be mostly harmless and nothing to lose your sleepover.
5. What happens if you eat beetroot every day?
A: Beetroot is high in nitrates, betalain pigments, and fibre and a great source of various vitamins and minerals with established use in blood circulation, menstruation, and hepatobiliary disorders. The significance of dietary nitrates found in beetroot is effective in the treatment of hypertension by contributing to endothelial nitric oxide production. It acts as a vasodilator, thereby increasing the perfusion of blood in tissues and helping in better erection and lowering the rate of cholesterol build-up in the arteries, which may cause a heart attack. This natural detoxifier promotes brain function and helps fight constipation.
6. Is beetroot high in sugar?
A: No beets are not high in sugar content and in fact help in lowering the glucose levels in the body.
7. What are the side effects of beetroot?
A: Beetroot consumption can change the consistency and colour of your stool and urine. They may get a pinkish pigmentation which is harmless in most cases.
8. Who should not take beetroot?
A: Beets are a known remedy to lower blood pressure. Thus people who suffer from low blood pressure should avoid beetroot as it can worsen their condition. Additionally, people suffering from gallbladder issues or kidney stones should also omit beetroot from their diet as the oxalate in beets can increase the complications.
9. Is beetroot good for your liver?
A: Yes, beetroot is very beneficial for your liver. It stimulates the production of the natural detoxifying enzymes of the liver, strengthens it to flush away toxins from the body and helps protect it from damage and inflammation. It also prevents the deposition of fat in the liver preventing the fatty liver condition.
10. How many beets should I eat a day?
A: 1 full beetroot or a cup of beetroot juice every day is enough to reap its health benefits.
11. Is beetroot good for diabetes?
A: Yes, beetroot is a non-starchy vegetable rich in phytochemicals that effectively regulate the body’s insulin and glucose levels thus keeping diabetes in check. Furthermore, the nitrates present in abundance in beets reduce insulin resistance.
12. Can diabetics drink beet juice?
A: Yes, given the low glycemic score of beetroot, its juice is a perfectly healthy beverage for diabetics.
13. Is beetroot good for sleep?
A: Beetroots are rich in calcium and magnesium. The deficiency of these two minerals is one of the reasons for disruptive sleep patterns. Thus, beetroot juice can improve sleep quality.
14. Can beets damage your kidneys?
A: Yes, eating too many beets might make kidney disease worse and may even lead to the accumulation of kidney stones in people with a higher risk of this condition.
15. Does beets make you poop?
A: Yes, beetroot is high in fibre. It is highly beneficial in regulating your digestive processes and easing the bowel movement to offer quick relief from constipation. Drinking beet juice or having boiled beets can be a great remedy for a constipated stomach. Betalains present in beetroot is an agent thought to help maintain good overall digestive health.
