5 Benefits Of Beetroot

There are many benefits of beetroot, mainly because it contains a high amount of inorganic nitrates. Beetroot is a root vegetable that can also be known as table beet, garden beet, red beet, or just beet. It is an outstanding source of vitamin C, fibre, iron, folate (vitamin B9), potassium, and manganese.

Beetroot belongs to the family of chard and spinach; both the leaves and roots of beetroot are edible, although the leaves have a bitter taste while the root has a sweet taste. Beetroot gained popularity after researchers discovered it could be the new superfood that substantially decreases blood pressure, reduces inflammation and improves general performance. Beets have a beautiful colour that can make anyone and everyone fall in love with them, yet it is often ignored.

The Benefits Of Beetroot

With this article, I am hoping to shed more light on the benefits of beetroot. As earlier stated, there are so many benefits of beetroot, but this article would be sharing five essential benefits of beetroot.

Manages Your Blood Pressure

Beetroot became popular as researchers have been able to prove that beetroot can substantially reduce blood pressure. The natural content of nitrates in beets helps improve blood circulation in the body; the body converts these nitrates to nitric oxide, which is found in the blood vessels. The nitric oxides help improve the overall flow of blood in the body, which reduces blood pressure.

A small scale study illustrated that consuming 250ml beetroot juice every day for four weeks significantly decreased the blood pressure of hypertensive people.

Increases General Stamina

Beetroot and its juice improve the performance of the lungs and heart; it relaxes and opens the blood vessels, thereby increasing oxygen in the blood. Beetroot juice became popular when David Weir, a Paralympics gold medallist, said a shot of beetroot juice was the key to his success. Beetroot juice is also instrumental in recovery because when the muscles are in a resting state, the nitrates helps transport oxygen to the muscles.

Healthier Skin And Anti-Inflammatory

Beetroot has been recognized as one of the ten most potent antioxidants vegetable. Beetroot contains betalain, which is responsible for its vibrant colour and has high antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties—this helps protect cells from damage and rejuvenate damaged cells. Beetroot juice can serve as a great cleanser which is the key to clearer and healthy skin; beetroot, being rich in vitamin C, which reduces blemishes, wrinkles and even the skin out.

Improves Digestion

Fibre is a crucial component of a healthy diet; a cup of beetroot contains 3.4 grams of fibre. Beetroot is one of the primary sources of glutamine, an amino acid that is vital to the health of the gut. This content helps with bowel movement and is helpful to the bacteria that reside around the stomach. Fibre on its own bypasses digestion and goes straight to the colon, where it becomes food for the bacteria that live around the gut or becomes stool. This prevents digestive problems like constipation or indigestion; it has also been proven to avoid chronic ailments like colon cancer.

Improves Brain Health

It is a known fact that as we grow older, our mental health deteriorates. It is significant in some more than others; reduction in oxygen and blood flow to the brain is one of the main causes of mental health deterioration. Researchers have shown that the nitrate found in beetroot is a solution to this problem as it increases blood flow and oxygen to all parts of the body, including the brain. Beetroot enables blood flow to the frontal lobe of the brain, which is responsible for high-level thinking like retaining memory and decision making.