When it comes to healthy foods, it’s hard to beat beetroot. The nutritional facts for beetroot don’t lie. They are a powerhouse of vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients that are great for your health — antioxidants and fibre just to name two. Beetroot supports heart health, liver detoxification, brain health, and much more. If it’s been a while since you tried some fresh beets or energy-boosting beet juice, then it’s time to get back in the habit of enjoying the many health benefits of this colourful vegetable.
What is Beetroot?
Beetroot come from the roots of beetroot plants (Beta vulgaris). All parts of the plant are edible – many people enjoy young beetroot greens in salads. Even though most people automatically think of the richly coloured red beetroot, there are countless other varieties including sugar beetroot, golden beetroot, and many others, each with a unique culinary profile.
What Vitamins and Minerals Does Beetroot Have?
Whatever kind of beetroot you choose, it will be packed full of health-promoting compounds and phytonutrients. Beetroot is rich in immune system boosting vitamins like vitamin C and it has plenty of essential minerals like potassium, manganese, and iron. Beetroot is also a great source of lysine, an essential amino acid that your body can’t produce on its own. Beetroot supports overall wellness too. They provide a delicious serving of fibre and antioxidants with every mouthful. Here is the nutritional breakdown for one cup of raw beetroot according to the United States Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) National Nutrient Database:
NUTRIENT
Protein |
AMOUNT IN 1 CUP OF BEETROOT
2.2 g |
---|---|
Fibre | 3.8 g |
Sugars | 9.19 g |
Calcium | 22 mg |
Iron | 1.09 mg |
Magnesium | 31 mg |
Phosphorus | 31 mg |
Potassium | 442 mg |
Sodium | 106 mg |
Zinc | 0.48 mg |
Copper | 0.102 mg |
Manganese | 0.447 mg |
Selenium | 1.0 µg |
Vitamin C | 06.7 mg |
Thiamin | 00.042 mg |
Riboflavin | .054 mgg |
Niacin | 0.454 mg |
Folate | 148 µg |
Betaine | 175 mg |
Vitamin A | 3 µg |
Vitamin K | 0.3 µg |
The Top Health Benefits of Beetroot
As one of the oldest known vegetables, humans have used beetroot for a variety of health concerns since ancient times. While they remain a staple in some diets, the health benefits of beetroot is not as well known as they once were. However, modern research suggests that there are incredible uses for beetroot. Here are some of the most recent, verifiable ways beetroot can support your health.
Great Source of Antioxidants>
Beetroot, like many other fruit and vegetables, are full of antioxidants. Antioxidants help promote good health for many of your organs because they protect against free radical damage at a cellular level. Free radicals are at the root of dozens of health concerns, including some types of cancer. Frequently eating foods that are rich in antioxidants, like beetroot gives you the antioxidants your body needs to promote sustained wellness. They can even act as anti-inflammatories to help protect against some forms of light inflammation.
Supports Cardiovascular Health
Beetroot contains naturally occurring nitrates. These compounds convert into nitric oxide inside your blood and can help promote cardiovascular health. Nitric oxide can widen blood vessels, which increases oxygen efficiency to the heart and other vital organs. Some of these effects are almost immediate. Drinking beetroot juice, for example, seems to lower blood pressure, both systolic and diastolic, within 24 hours of consumption.
Beetroot also contains fibre and betaine, both of which support a healthy heart. Fibre helps promote healthy cholesterol levels, while betaine can reduce homocysteine, an amino acid in the blood that has been shown to contribute to heart disease.
Boosts Exercise and Performance
Those same nitrates that are good for your heart also benefit your endurance, stamina, and muscle health. As nitrates increase blood flow, it can help athletes improve their performance and increase their stamina, giving them longer lasting energy for competition day. Similarly, beetroot can help athletes with muscle strength and recovery, again due in part to increased blood flow and oxygen efficiency.
Encourages Brain Health
Beetroot promotes a healthy mind and mood. While those nitrates are stimulating blood flow to your heart and lungs, your brain gets more blood, too. This can help your mind feel more focused and clear. Likewise, fresh beetroot contains brain-supporting compounds, including antioxidants, magnesium, vitamin C, and betaine. One animal study also found that mice experienced reduced stress and anxiety when given beetroot leaf extracts.
Promotes Strong Bones
Beetroot is filled with nutrients that help build strong, healthy bones. These nutrients include bone supporting minerals like copper, folate, and magnesium. Beetroot also contains silica, a mineral that promotes healthy levels of calcium absorption in your body.
Stimulates Detoxification
Beetroot is one of the best vegetables around for supporting your body’s natural detox mechanisms. The pigment that gives beetroot their unique colouring, betalain, also helps expel toxins from the body. Betalains work with your body’s natural defense mechanisms to help bind and eliminate toxins.somnia
Vitalises Liver and Kidney Health
These natural betalain compounds also help promote liver and kidney health, which are the two primary detoxifying organs in the body. Betanins are one type of betalain compound found in beetroot. Betanins help create enzymes that promote detoxification and antioxidant activity inside your liver. On a side note, beetroot juice and beetroot soup are two of my favourite liver-cleansing foods.
Supports Digestive Health
Beetroot is high in fibre and vitamin B-9. Together, these compounds help promote proper digestion. Fibre helps with healthy bowel movements and helps prevent constipation. It is also an excellent prebiotic, which helps feed healthy probiotic bacteria in your gut. Vitamin B-9, or folate, is an essential vitamin that promotes a healthy colon and gastrointestinal health. Consuming beetroot is a great way to allow these two forces to work together at the same time—helping maintain a healthy metabolism and digestive system. Beetroot also contains betaine hydrochloride. This organic compound helps the stomach break down fat and proteins in your food, and can be a powerful digestive aid.
Adding Beets to Your Diet
While pickled or canned beetroot is what a lot of people go fo, there are far more, and better, ways to add beetroot to your daily diet. Fresh beetroot can be a great addition to many drinks and salads. For a delicious beetroot juice, try the following ingredients (if you don’t have a juicer, blend them with 1 or 2 cups of water).
Beetroot Juice
• 3 Organic carrots (peeled and washed)
• 1 Organic beetroot (peeled and washed)
• 2 Organic red apples (washed and cut)
• 6 Organic kale leaves
• ½ Inch of ginger root
• ½ Organic lemon, peeled
If eating or drinking beetroot just isn’t for you, then beetroot extracts and powders are becoming more and more common. Because beetroot is becoming increasingly popular among athletes, you can now easily find beetroot supplements that contain nitric oxides and other compounds derived from beetroot to promote endurance and physical performance.
Beetroot Side Effects and Precautions
While there are no serious health concerns when it comes to eating beetroot, they do have one unique property that could cause false alarm—the pigments that give red beetroot that unusual colour will give your stool a reddish-purple tint. If this happens to you, don’t be alarmed. While some people mistake this red colouring for blood in their stool, it’s not. This temporary change in colouring is harmless and should go away completely after one or two bowel movements.
And the Beet Goes On
Beetroot is great for your health, and I always recommend adding them to your regular diet for the way they support the liver and kidneys. However, if you are looking to cleanse your liver of toxic build-up completely, beetroot should be part of a larger solution. Performing a regular liver cleanse does far more than beetroot can do on their own. Regular liver cleansing can improve how your entire body looks and feels. As toxins get pushed out, your body can better absorb the good stuff.