Are beets healthy?
Beets are known for their distinctive red hue and earthy flavor. Whether you love them or prefer to avoid them, you might be wondering about the health benefits of beets. This divisive root vegetable is a nutritional powerhouse, so you should try to incorporate it into your diet.
Luckily for beet skeptics, you’ll find plenty of ways to eat them, so there are bound to be one or two you enjoy. Beet lovers, on the other hand, should feel encouraged to eat them as much as they like.
Beets nutrition
First off, let’s look at the general nutritional profile of beets. Beets are rich in fiber, containing around 2 to 3 grams per 3/4 cup serving. Ideally, adults should eat between 25 and 30 grams of fiber each day, so while you’ll need to eat more than just a couple of beets to reach your optimal fiber intake, they’ll get you on your way. A cup of beets contains 37% of your daily value of folate (vitamin B9), as well as 11% of vitamin C, 22% of manganese, and 13% of potassium. While these are the vitamins and minerals beets are richest in, they contain smaller amounts of even more. That said, if you’re concerned about your vitamin intake, you might want to take a multivitamin supplement.
Beets can lower blood pressure
According to a 2015 study published in the American Heart Association Journals, individuals who drank approximately 8.5 ounces of beet juice each day had significantly lower blood pressure after drinking it. This effect is thought to be attributed to the high levels of nitrate found in beets. High blood pressure increases your risk for a range of nasty conditions, such as stroke, cardiovascular disease, and heart attacks, so being able to reduce it with something as simple as consuming beets is a big deal. Of course, beets shouldn’t replace blood pressure medication in those who need it.
Digestive health may be improved by beets
Due to its high levels of dietary fiber, eating beets can play a part in keeping your bowel movements regular, though don’t be alarmed if your stool appears red after eating moderate to large amounts of beets. What’s more, beetroots are one of the richest dietary sources of the amino acid glutamine, which is essential for keeping the intestines healthy.
Beets have impressive antioxidant properties
Beetroot is one of the 10 most antioxidant-rich vegetables primarily due to high levels of beta-alanine compounds. The job of antioxidants is to protect your cells from free radicals. Free radicals damage cells and play a part in causing heart disease and various cancers. We’re not suggesting that eating beets, or any other sources of antioxidants, will keep you from getting these diseases, but it could lessen your chance somewhat, when combined with a range of other factors, such as a generally healthy and balanced diet, exercise, and avoiding smoking and excessive alcohol consumption.
Your athletic performance may be improved by beets
You might consider downing beets before getting your running shoes on or jumping on your bike because beets might improve athletic performance. Beets have been found to increase the amount of oxygen your muscles absorb during exercise. A 2019 study published in the National Library of Medicine found that experienced cyclists had better results in time trials after consuming beets. This was specifically after drinking beet juice, so you might want to try something like Pomona Organic Juices Pure Beet Juice to boost your athletic prowess.
Eating beets could mildly reduce cancer risk
It doesn’t serve anybody to overstate health claims, so we’d like to make it clear beets won’t miraculously cure or prevent cancer. However, they may have some properties that reduce your risk of developing certain types of cancer in conjunction with other cancer risk-reduction methods. The beta-alanines in beets can disrupt cancerous mutations in cells. According to the National Library of Medicine, one study suggested betacyanins from beetroots could help prevent bladder cancer.
Beets may protect the liver
The antioxidants found in beets could help protect the liver from oxidative stress and inflammation, according to Medical News Today. Although beets can potentially protect the liver from damage, they can’t “detox” it, which is a fairly common misconception. The liver is responsible for removing toxins from the body, and a healthy liver doesn’t need help with that.
Lauren Corona is a writer for BestReviews. BestReviews is a product review company with a singular mission: to help simplify your purchasing decisions and save you time and money.
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