If You Aren't Eating Beets, Then You Are Missing Out On
Health Transforming Results.
Health Transforming Results.
The Benefits of Beets
Before we start, we should probably acknowledge something. Many people have a belief around the taste and think something like:
“Even if I do find out how incredible beets are; it doesn’t matter because I'm not sure about the taste.”
Yet, what you may not know is that this colorful vegetable has been enjoying a resurgence in popularity in recent years. Beetroot doesn’t taste the same as it once did, and now, there are a whole host of varieties each with their own special taste. Beetroot can come earthy, sweet, or salty, making them perfect for a variety of dishes. Not to mention, their natural sugar provides a healthy alternative to artificial sweeteners and refined sugar to give a sweetness to your dishes. So, don’t read this article thinking it’s a lost cause because the next time you try them they just might surprise you.
Anyway, now it’s time to delve into the good stuff. Without further ado, let’s take a look at exactly how beets can help you and a few easy ways to fit them into your diet.
Beet Nutrition Facts
As with most fruit or vegetable, beets are jam-packed with vitamins and minerals. Though, what many people don’t realize is that the greens hold a high nutritional value as well as the main section. They’re also easy to cook as they act similar to spinach and other leafy greens.
Beetroot, in particular, hold a high amount of vitamin C, magnesium, iron, and copper as well as potassium. Potassium is one of seven essential macrominerals required by the body to function properly.
The other six are calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, sodium, chloride, and sulfur, three of which beetroots also hold in high amounts. Low levels of potassium can increase mortality risk by as much as 20%! (1)
This is due to its effects on blood pressure, muscle mass, bone density, and risk of developing kidney stones. Just to prove how useful beetroots can be, the daily recommended potassium intake for adults is 4,700mg, but less than 2% of Americans manage to hit this target. Per 100g, beets hold around 300mg, but the leaves can hold near 900mg! This is why it’s so valuable to eat the entire plant opposed to just the sweet part.
This is due to its effects on blood pressure, muscle mass, bone density, and risk of developing kidney stones. Just to prove how useful beetroots can be, the daily recommended potassium intake for adults is 4,700mg, but less than 2% of Americans manage to hit this target. Per 100g, beets hold around 300mg, but the leaves can hold near 900mg! This is why it’s so valuable to eat the entire plant opposed to just the sweet part.
Potassium also plays a key part in hydration.
As one of the major electrolytes alongside chloride and sodium, potassium contains an electric charge that allows cells to communicate with another. When we’re dehydrated, our body loses these essential minerals, this affects a number of things from our physical performance in the gym to our mental clarity.
Beets are a fantastic source of Nitrates (2). When you eat nitrates, they’re converted to nitric oxide. In turn helps to improve blood flow, leading to better physical performance and greater energy levels. Nitrates can also improve cardiovascular health by lowering blood pressure, help to protect the kidneys, and aid in regulating blood flow as we age. Essentially, if you’re looking to improve anything to do with your blood, then nitrates can do it. The health of your blood will impact every single process in your body, whether that be directly or indirectly.
How Beets Improve Energy Levels
One of the most widely used drugs worldwide is caffeine. Whether it’s with an energy drink at lunch or a cup of joe in the morning, most of us rely on some form of caffeine throughout the day to give us a physical and mental pick me up. One of the easiest ways to combat this dependence is through changing your nutrition. Following a healthy diet helps to prevent those spikes and crashes by providing long-lasting energy throughout the day.
As well as this, there are certain foods which can go above and beyond others when it comes to your energy. You might well have guessed, but beets are one of them. Firstly, beets are a good source of healthy carbohydrates which help to boost mental and physical performance. Many people find they crash soon after a large serving of carbohydrates, but that’s not the case with beets.
This is most likely due to their high-fiber content which also prevents against diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and bowel conditions. Alongside this, studies have shown that those who regularly consume beetroot juice also have a greater oxygen uptake by as much as 16% (3). Eating the vegetable has a similar effect, but it might be time to drop the Gatorade and fill up a glass of beet juice. Care2 have shown that cyclists who drank a larger serving of beetroot juice by 500ml could ride for 20% longer (4). Basically, if you’re not eating beets, then you’re missing out on a major ingredient that can make all the difference to your energy levels.
Beets Are Known To Reduce Inflammation
Another massive benefit of beetroot is that they’ve been known to reduce inflammation. Inflammation is a term we hear often, but it’s never quite explained. All it is, however, is a process within the body where your immune cells help your tissues repair. This helps to improve your immunity and the health of your cells. That all sounds pretty good, right? Well, too much inflammation is where the issues arise, such as joint pain, faster aging and even the development of diseases such as cancer.
Not good.
Inflammation responds to stress, but as our modern lives contain such a high amount of stress, this makes beets an almost life-saving food as they can reduce chronic inflammation to prevent against a large number of ill health effects. This includes, but isn’t limited to, high blood pressure, osteoporosis, chronic pain, diabetes, bronchitis, and heart disease (5).
Beetroots are a vital source of antioxidants as well as anti-inflammatory agents. The folate and betaine inside contribute to a lower level of homocysteine which is linked to an increased risk of heart disease due to inflammation of the arteries (6).
Alongside this, you can tell a lot about the micronutrient profile from the color of the fruit or vegetable. Beetroots get their bright red appearance from betacyanin. Betacyanin is a pigment which research has suggested can defend against carcinogens. If that wasn’t enough, then the high level of fiber has been linked to a reduced colon cancer risk and just a quarter cup of beets can completely slash your kidney cancer risk. When it comes to it, there’s really not many health claims beetroots aren’t linked to.
Beauty and The Beets
Not only are they an attractive plant themselves, but beets can also help with your appearance by contributing to healthy skin, hair, and nails. Eating beets on a regular basis supplies the body with a variety of essential nutrients that help the skin to maintain healthy cells as well as produce new ones. Some studies have even linked its inflammation attacking effects to help your body get rid of boils and acne. Beetroots also contain certain nutrients and compounds which help to provide the skin with a healthy glow. This can be done by eating the plant or just applying the juice to your skin, enhancing hydration to keep it nice and supple (7).
Both your hair and scalp can easily become damaged due to our modern lifestyle, constantly stressing and spending time in polluted areas. This can lead to brittle, unhealthy hair, flaky scalps, and dandruff or in the worst cases, even hair loss. Though, through the oxygen-boosting effects on the blood, beetroots improve blood to the head, improving hydration of the scalp and making your roots stronger (8).
Beets Beat Fatigue
Fatigue is caused by a number of symptoms and is hard to describe. It can be either mental or physical, but thankfully, there are ways to prevent against both. At the simplest level, fatigue relates to a lack of energy and/or motivation. Some of the most common treatable causes of fatigue are heart disease, diabetes, sleep, thyroid disease and anemia.
Anaemia is a condition where the body is deficient in iron. Thankfully, beets are an extremely rich source of iron, helping to prevent against anemia, improve oxygen distribution throughout the body, improve brain health, and fight fatigue (9).
Due to their content of the antioxidant betacyanin, beetroots can reduce oxidation of the ‘bad cholesterol’ LDL which can stick inside the arteries. This helps to protect the heart against attacks and stroke. Alongside this, their nitrate content helps to widen the arteries which improve blood flow and helps combat fatigue whilst boosting energy levels (10).
Beet Recipes
There are a variety of ways to eat beets from juicing to cooking. Thankfully, we’re going to cover both.
Simple Beet Juice
All you need:
o ½ Red Beet
o 1 Apple
o 2 Mandarins
o 2 Carrots
Press them all into a juicer, mix together, and enjoy ice cold.
Easy Way to Cook Beets
First, prepare a large bowl of water and ice.
Next, bring a large pot of water to a boil.
Add your beets to the pot. If you’re using different colors of beets, then separate them into different pots so that they don’t dye one another.
Boil the beets for 20-30 minutes depending on the size. If they’re ready, then you should be able to easily remove the skin.
Remove the beets from the boiling water and immediately place them into the ice bath.
Remove the skin from the beets using your hands, rinse, and then slice them in any way you like.
Store in an airtight container.
If your hands become stained throughout the cooking process, then don’t worry. Simply rub some lemon juice over them to reduce the red coloring.
How Beets Can Speed Up Your Metabolism
Our metabolism holds the key between us gaining or losing fat. Beetroots contain a number of different attributes which help them support weight loss, from their low-calorie content to their satiating fiber content. Fibre is an overlooked aspect of weight loss. Fiber can help support healthy bowel function and keep you full on lower calories.
Beetroots are also rich in the mineral magnesium which helps with nerve and muscle function. Studies have found that magnesium can increase testosterone, a sex hormone that helps to improve fat loss and muscle gain (11). Promoting muscle is particularly important as muscle mass burns calories and contributes to a beta metabolism.
Final Thoughts
As a quick recap, they can:
o Boost your energy
o Improve your physical performance
o Reduce inflammation
o Lower your blood pressure
o Reduce your chances of various ill conditions such as osteoporosis and chronic pain
o Improve the health of your skin, hair, and nails
o Fight fatigue
o Reduce your chances of various cancers
o Boost your iron levels
o Reduce your chance of artery-related conditions
o Improve bowel health
o Improve oxygen delivery throughout your body
o Increase your muscle mass
o Help you to lose weight
o Increase your metabolism
And this is just the stuff we could fit in this article. In reality, there are numerous ways in which your health could benefit from regularly consuming beets. Whether it’s a glass of juice in the morning, some cooked beets for lunch or they’re mixed into your mash potato at dinner. Beets are one of the most versatile and micronutrient-rich foods around. Why not add some to your diet today so you can see for yourself right way?
By now I bet you are already thinking about how to incorporate more beets into your day like me.
Hyburst’s Beet Berry has all of the above beet benefits with the added bonus of B-Vitamins and a complex electrolyte blend. If you are looking for an easy way to incorporate more beets into your life without the hassle of buying, cooking and cleaning up after yourself, Hyburst Beet Berry is your answer. Get yours now by going here.
References
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