Why You Should Start Adding Beets to Your Diet

13 Mar, 2020

High in Nutrients

Beets provide amazing nutrients as they are high in folate, manganese, and copper. Folate has been shown to reduce the risk for heart disease, cancer, and depression. Magnesium is great for metabolism, wound healing, migraines and healthy bones. Copper keeps your immune system healthy and supports energy production.

Beet greens are also full of vitamins A, C, K, and B2.

Benefits of Beets

Beets provide amazing benefits for your body as they are great for your heart, improve blood flow, reduce inflammation, improve digestive health, improve brain health, they are immunity-boosting, and are good for your eyes and liver.

Heart Health: Beets are a great source of nitrates. Nitric oxide opens up your blood vessels, which helps lower blood pressure and heart rate.

In a 2014 study published in Hypertension, researchers found that drinking one cup of beetroot juice daily for four weeks was able to reduce blood pressure. Some participants were even able to reduce some types of blood pressure medication as a result. The overall function of blood vessels was also improved.

Improve Blood Flow: The nitrates in beets improve blood flow, which helps move oxygen throughout your body. Endurance athletes often drink beetroot juice to improve performance, which has got to be one of the healthiest and most delicious forms of doping ever invented. Better oxygen flow means that the athlete’s heart and lungs don’t have to work so hard during exercise, allowing them to perform vigorous activity for longer. In addition to this, drinking beet juice before exercise seems to prevent fatigue.
Reduce Inflammation: The betalain in beets can reduce inflammation, which researchers theorize is partially due to its ability to interfere with the inflammatory signaling process. Inflammation is a factor in many health problems, including heart disease, cancer, and obesity.
Improve Digestive Health: Beets are high in fiber, which is good for your gut. Eating enough fiber protects against constipation, hemorrhoids, colon cancer, acid reflux, ulcers, diverticulitis, and obesity.
Great for Brain Health: A 2017 study published in the Journal of Gerontology demonstrated the ability of beet juice to improve blood flow to the brain during exercise. Half of the participants drank high-nitrate beet juice concentrate before exercise, and half drank an identically flavored and colored placebo drink with almost zero nitrates. Those who consumed the beet juice drink showed improved function in the areas of the brain related to motor control, emotion, and cognition, compared to those in the placebo group.
Immunity Boosting: Beets are high in zinc, copper, and vitamins A and C — all nutrients known to boost immunity. Vitamin A increases antibody production and stimulates your white blood cells, which help ward off infections. Beets also contain iron, which is needed to carry oxygen throughout your body, keep your cells strong, and enhance immune defense.
Good for your eyes: Beets contain lutein and zeaxanthin, which are well-studied for their positive impact on vision. Consuming these carotenoids can prevent and slow the progression of age-related macular degeneration, the leading cause of adult vision loss in America.
Good for your Liver: Beets have an abundance of nutrients that keep your liver healthy — such as iron, antioxidants, betaine, and vitamin B. Beetroot helps protect the liver from oxidative damage and inflammation. The betaines in beets help the liver eliminate toxins. And betalains encourage the detoxification process. Also, pectin, a water-soluble fiber in these root vegetables, helps flush out toxins from the liver.