Beetroot is a root vegetable that's high in potassium and vitamin C. It can help improve blood sugar and may help reduce the risk of certain modern ailments.

What is beetroot?

Beetroot is a type of red, leafy vegetable that is typically consumed as food. It is a quality source of dietary fiber and numerous vitamins and minerals, including folate.

Beetroot is low in calories and has a negligible impact on blood sugar levels.

Beetroots has been studied in connection with risk of heart disease, blood pressure control, skin health, weight loss, and cancer prevention.

How to cook whole beetroot

Beetroot is a root vegetable that can be prepared in many ways. Here are three tips for cooking beetroot:

- Boil beetroot in water or stock until tender.

- Roast beetroot until soft and golden brown.

The health benefits of beetroot

Beetroot is a fantastic source of gut-healthy nutrients, including fiber, potassium, and vitamin A. These nutrients help to keep your digestive system running smoothly and can help to reduce the risk of some chronic health conditions. Here are some of the health benefits of beetroot that you can enjoy:

Beetroot may help improve your vision: Beetroot is a quality source of beta-carotene, which is an essential nutrient that helps to improve your vision by helping to protect your eyes against age-related damage.

Skin and hair: Beetroot may help improve the appearance of skin and hair. Beetroot is a natural antioxidant that can help protect your skin from damage caused by free radicals. Beetroot also contains vitamins A and C, essential for healthy skin.

Anti-aging: The powerful antioxidants in beetroot can help reduce wrinkles and the signs of aging.

Weight loss: The high fiber and iron content in beetroot can help you lose weight by making you feel fuller for longer and reducing your cholesterol levels.

Brain health: The high vitamin B content in beetroot can help improve your memory and mental health by reducing the risk of Alzheimer's disease.

Mood: The high vitamin B6 in beetroot may help reduce anxiety, stress, and depression.

Pregnancy: The folic acid content of beetroot may help prevent congenital disabilities in babies.

Urinary health: The high vitamin C content in beetroot may help prevent bladder and kidney stones. -

Beetroot nutrition

The health benefits of beetroot are vast and include weight loss, cancer prevention, heart health, and more! Here are five reasons you should start eating this veggie more often:

1. Potassium is essential for maintaining healthy blood pressure and preventing heart disease and other chronic issues. A medium-sized beetroot contains around 471 milligrams of potassium, so it's perfect for satisfying your daily needs.

2. Beetroot is an excellent source of fiber. A 100 gram serving of beetroot provides about 5 grams of fiber, about half the recommended daily intake for adults.

3. Beetroot is a low-calorie food option. One 100-gram serving of beetroot contains just 60 calories, making it an ideal snack or meal replacement choice if you want to maintain your weight or reduce your calorie intake.

4. Antioxidants: Beetroot is a rich source of antioxidants, including carotenoids, flavonoids, and polyphenols. These antioxidants help protect cells from damage, improving cognitive function and memory.

Beetroot Research

Based on research, beetroot is considered to treat pathologies related to oxidative stress, inflammation, detoxification, cognition, and endothelial function. Numerous studies suggest the beneficial effects of beetroot on cardiovascular health.

Recent studies have claimed that beets and beetroot juice improve sports performance, lower blood pressure, and improve blood flow. Some studies found that supplementing with beetroot juice may increase the amount of oxygen absorbed by muscles when exercising.

While nitrate-rich beetroot juice did not increase blood flow to muscles or dilate the blood vessels during exercise, researchers found it did de-stiffen blood vessels in resting conditions, possibly alleviating the strain on the heart. The researchers also observed a direct correlation between blood nitrite levels and a decrease in participants' arterial pulse rate, suggesting the supplement had biological effects (de-stiffening arteries). The researchers investigated whether daily inorganic nitrate-rich beetroot juice increased nitric oxide levels and if that impacted inflammation.

Recent studies provide convincing evidence that the consumption of beetroot offers beneficial physiological effects, which can be translated into improved clinical outcomes in different pathologies, such as; hypertension, atherosclerosis, type 2 diabetes, and dementia [1,5,6,7,8].

A 2015 study on 68 people with elevated blood pressure examined the effects of drinking 250 milliliters of beetroot juice daily. A regular glass of beetroot juice may decrease signs of inflammation in the blood vessels, which is known to increase in people with coronary heart disease, according to a new study that we funded and presented at a British Cardiovascular Society meeting in Manchester.  

Possible beetroot side effects

Some people might experience stomach cramps, diarrhea, and vomiting when consuming beetroot. There have also been a few reports of allergic reactions. If you have a history of allergies, you should consult a doctor before consuming beetroot. Excessive consumption of beetroot can cause a significant increase in your blood pressure, which may be dangerous for people with heart disease or hypertension.

sources:

https://www.nutraingredients.com/Article/2021/09/08/Beetroot-supplement-investigation-calls-for-tighter-quality-regulation 0
https://www.bhf.org.uk/what-we-do/news-from-the-bhf/news-archive/2022/june/daily-beetroot-juice-could-help-people-with-common-heart-condition 1
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4425174/ 2
https://blog.bioticsresearch.com/beet-your-way-to-health 3
https://examine.com/supplements/beet-root/research/ 4
https://www.psu.edu/news/research/story/beet-or-not-beet-researchers-test-theories-beet-juice-benefits/ 5
https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fnut.2021.660150/full 6
https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/277432 7
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41430-022-01115-4 8
https://www.theguardian.com/society/2022/jun/09/beetroot-juice-coronary-heart-disease-nitric-oxide-levels 9
https://jissn.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12970-021-00468-8 10