Here are some Impressive Health Benefits of Beets

As one of the oldest known vegetables, humans have used beets for a variety of health concerns since ancient times. While they remain a staple in some diets, beets’ health benefits are not as well known as they once were. However, modern research suggests that there are incredible uses for beets. Here are some of the most recent, verifiable ways beets can support your health.

Great Source of Antioxidants

Beets, like many other fruits and veggies, are full of antioxidants. Antioxidants help promote good health for many of your organs, including your heart, by protecting 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 beets, will give 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

Beets contain 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 beet juice, for example, seems to lower blood pressure, both systolic and diastolic, within 24 hours of consumption.

Beets also contain fiber and betaine, both of which support a healthy heart, reducing the risk of heart failure. Fiber 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, or coronary artery disease. So if you have some high blood pressure issues, this is a great way that reduces blood pressure.

Boosts Physical Activity & 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, beets can help athletes with muscle strength and recovery, again due in part to increased blood flow and oxygen efficiency.

Encourages Brain Health

This super food can promote a healthy mind and mood, as well as heart valves. 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 beets contain 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

Beets are filled with nutrients that help build strong, healthy bones. These nutrients include bone supporting minerals like copper, folate, and magnesium. Beets also contain silica, a mineral that promotes healthy levels of calcium absorption in your body.

Stimulates Detoxification

Beets are one of the best vegetables around for supporting your body’s natural detox mechanisms. The pigment that gives beets their unique coloring, betalain, also helps expel toxins from the body. Betalains work with your body’s natural defense mechanisms to help bind and eliminate toxins, help with the digestive process, and aid in heart healthy living.

Vitalizes Liver & Kidney Health

These natural betalain compounds also help promote liver, and kidney, which are the two primary detoxifying organs in the body. Betanins are one type of betalain compound found in beets. Betanins help create enzymes that promote detoxification and antioxidant activity inside your liver. On a side note, beet juice and beet soup are two of my favorite liver cleansing foods or can be considered a detox diet.

Supports Digestive Health

Beets are high in fiber and vitamin B-9. Together, these compounds help promote proper digestion. Fiber helps with healthy bowel movements and helps prevent constipation. It’s 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 beets is a great way to allow these two forces to work together at the same time — helping maintain a healthy metabolism and digestive system.

They also have 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 beets are standard, there are far more, and better, ways to add beets to your daily diet. Fresh beets can be a great addition to many drinks and salads, especially since no added sugar is necessary.

For a delicious beet juice, juice the following ingredients (if you don’t have a juicer, blend them with 1 or 2 cups of water).

Beet Juice Ingredients:

• 3 Organic carrots (peeled and washed)
• 1 Organic beet (peeled and washed)
• 2 Organic red apples (washed and cut)
• 6 Organic kale leaves
• ½ Inch of ginger root
• ½ Organic lemon, peeled

While there are countless beet salad recipes out there, this goji berry wild rice salad, with beets is one of my absolute favorites.

If eating or drinking beets just isn’t for you, then beet extracts and powders are becoming more and more common. Because beets are becoming increasingly popular among athletes, you can now easily find beet supplements that contain nitric oxides and other compounds derived from beets to promote endurance and physical performance.

Beet Side Effects & Precautions

While there are no serious health concerns when it comes to eating beets, they do have one unique property that could cause false alarm — the pigments that give red beets that unusual color will give your stool a reddish-purple tint. If this happens to you, don’t be alarmed.

While some people mistake this red coloring for blood in their stool, it’s not. This temporary change in coloring is harmless and should go away completely after one or two bowel movements.

Adding Beets To Your Everyday Diet

Beets are 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 buildup completely, beets should be part of a larger solution. Performing a regular liver cleanse does far more than beets could 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.

One essential part of my recommended liver cleanse includes a powerful liver cleanse soup, with beets as one of the main ingredients. For this recipe and more liver cleansing tips, check out my Liver Cleanse Program™.

I saw this article and wanted to share with you just how great or beneficial beets are, I hope you enjoy them as much as I do.

When I was a child, my mom would cook and eat beets. To me there was nothing more disquisting than beets, other than Brussels sprouts, or even okra. It seemed as if she ate all the nasty vegetables and never purchased any fruit. All I could think was, what kind of life is this? A life without fruit, surely the world was coming to an end.

It wasn’t until a few months ago, that I bought some fresh beets. I peeled and cooked them in a pot of water. Of course this process took quite some time. But the end results were fabulous!

I encourage you to try them, if you have not.

No sugar added, this naturally sweet, and tender vegetables is the perfect food. So I saved the beet water after cooking, to use in my smoothies as well as the beets themselves. As well as eating some of the delicious beets. It was amazing to me because I found myself eating the beets by themselves, talking about a treat. I was like a kid in a candy store.