Beetroot is becoming more popular as a superfood. Beets and beetroot juice, according to new research, can improve athletic performance, lower blood pressure, and increase blood flow. These healthy ingredients are now present in an increasing number of juices and beverages.
The same plant family as sugar beets includes beetroot. It is, however, genetically and nutritionally distinct. White sugar beets are frequently used by producers to extract sugar and sweeten processed foods.
Alpha-lipoic acid is an antioxidant found in beets. This compound may help lower glucose levels and improve insulin sensitivity. The researchers discovered that giving alpha-lipoic acid supplements orally or intravenously reduced symptoms of peripheral and autonomic neuropathy in diabetics. However, the majority of the doses used in these studies were far higher than those found in beetroot. The available research does not yet reveal the effects of lower dietary doses.
Health Benefits from Beetroots
Regularity & Digestion
A recent study found that a single cup of beets can provide more than 8.81% of a person’s daily fiber requirement, depending on age and gender. One way to increase fiber intake is to incorporate beetroot into one’s diet. One cup of beetroot provides
Exercise & Athletic Performance
Several studies indicate that dietary nitrates found in beets may improve athletic performance. Nitrates appear to improve physical performance by increasing mitochondrial efficiency, which produces energy in your cells. According to one study, beetroot juice may improve endurance by increasing the time it takes to become exhausted, improving cardiorespiratory performance, and increasing athlete efficiency.
It’s worth noting that blood nitrate levels peak within 2-3 hours of eating beets or drinking beet juice. To maximize their potential benefits, consume them a couple of hours before training or competing.
Control Your Blood Pressure
Beets have been extensively researched for their ability to lower high blood pressure, which is a major risk factor for heart disease. According to some studies, beetroot juice can significantly lower both systolic and diastolic blood pressure levels. Instead of diastolic blood pressure, or pressure when your heart relaxes, the effect seems to be stronger for systolic blood pressure, or pressure when your heart contracts.
Further more, raw beets may be more effective than cooked beets. The fact that this root vegetable lowers blood pressure is most likely due to the high concentration of nitrates in it. Dietary nitrates are transformed by your body into nitric oxide, which expands blood vessels and lowers blood pressure.
Fight Inflammation
Betain pigments, which have anti-inflammatory properties, are found in beets. Chronic inflammation has been linked to conditions such as obesity, heart disease, liver disease, and cancer, so this could help in a variety of ways.
Beet juice and extract have also been shown to reduce kidney inflammation in one animal study following toxic, injury-causing chemical injections. More human studies are needed to determine whether eating beets in moderation as part of a healthy diet provides the same anti-inflammatory benefits.
Promote Brain Health
Mental and cognitive abilities naturally decline with age, increasing the risk of neurodegenerative disorders such as dementia. Beet nitrates may improve brain function by promoting blood vessel dilation and thus increasing blood flow to the brain.
Beets, in particular, have been shown to increase blood flow to the frontal lobe of the brain, which is associated with higher-level thinking such as decision-making and working memory.
Beetroot appears to be a powerful dietary source of health-promoting agents that holds potential as a therapeutic treatment for several pathological disorders. The powerful antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and vascular-protective effects are offered by beetroot and its constituents. Hence its increasing popularity as a nutritional approach to help manage cardiovascular disease and cancer., beetroot supplementation has been reported to reduce blood pressure and also as an effective means of enhancing athletic performance.
Have it as a part of your salad, soup, and smoothies and also in your rotis, paratha, and puri.
References:
- Albasher. G, Alsaleh A. S., Alkubaisi. N, Alfarraj. S, Alkahtani. S, Farhood. M, Alotibi. N, & Almeer. R (2020). Red beetroot extract abrogates chlorpyrifos‐induced cortical damage in rats. Oxidative Medicine and Cellular Longevity, 2020.
- Berends J. E., Van Den Berg L. M. M., Guggeis M. A., Henckens N. F. T., Hossein I. J., de Joode M. E. J. R., Zamani H., van Pelt K. A. A. J., Beelen N. A., Kuhnle G. G., de Kok T. M. C. M., & Van Breda S. G. J. (2019).
- Betteridge, S. , Bescós, R. , Martorell, M. , Pons, A. , Garnham, A. P. , Stathis, C. C. , &McConell, G. K. (2016). No effect of acute beetroot juice ingestion on oxygen consumption, glucose kinetics, or skeletal muscle metabolism during submaximal exercise in males
