BEETROOT:
HEALTH BENEFITS, NUTRITIONAL INFORMATION
Beetroot, also known simply as the beet, has been gaining in
popularity as a new super food due to recent studies claiming that beets and
beetroot juice can improve athletic performance, lower blood pressure and
increase blood flow.
New products incorporating this highly nutritious food are
sprouting up everywhere, especially in juices and drinks.
Beetroot, or table beets, although from the same family as
sugar beets (beta vulgaris), are genetically and nutritionally different. Sugar
beets are white in color and commonly used for sugar extraction and sweetening
manufactured foods. Sugar cannot be obtained from beetroot, which are most
commonly found in red and gold varieties.
This MNT Knowledge Center feature is part of a collection of
articles on the health benefits of popular foods.
Possible health benefits of consuming beetroot
Beetroot
Beetroot has been gaining in popularity as a new super food.
Consuming fruits and vegetables of all kinds has long been
associated with a reduced risk of many lifestyle-related health conditions.
Many studies have suggested that increasing consumption of plant foods like
beetroot decreases the risk of obesity and overall mortality, diabetes, heart
disease and promotes a healthy complexion and hair, increased energy, overall
lower weight.
Heart health and blood pressure: A 2008 study published in
Hypertension examined the effects of ingesting 500mls of beetroot juice in
healthy volunteers and found that blood pressure was significantly lowered
after ingestion. Researchers hypothesized this was likely due to the high
nitrate levels contained in beet juice and that the high nitrate vegetables
could prove to be a low cost and effective way to treat cardiovascular
conditions and blood pressure.
Another study conducted in 2010 found similar results that
drinking beetroot juice lowered blood pressure considerably on a dose-dependent
basis.
Dementia: Researchers at Wake Forest University have found
that drinking juice from beetroot can improve oxygenation to the brain, slowing
the progression of dementia in older adults. According to Daniel Kim-Shapiro,
director of Wake Forest's Translational Science Center, blood flow to certain
areas of the brain decrease with age and leads to a decline in cognition and
possible dementia. Consuming beetroot juice as part of a high nitrate diet can
improve the blood flow and oxygenation to these areas that are lacking.
Diabetes: Beets contain an antioxidant known as alpha-lipoic
acid, which has been shown to lower glucose levels, increase insulin
sensitivity and prevent oxidative stress-induced changes in patients with
diabetes. Studies on alpha-lipoic acid have also shown decreases in peripheral
neuropathy and/or autonomic neuropathy in diabetics.5
Digestion and regularity: Because of its high fiber content,
beetroot helps to prevent constipation and promote regularity for a healthy
digestive tract.
Inflammation: Choline is a very important and versatile
nutrient in beetroot that helps with sleep, muscle movement, learning and
memory. Choline also helps to maintain the structure of cellular membranes,
aids in the transmission of nerve impulses, assists in the absorption of fat
and reduces chronic inflammation.4
Exercise and athletic performance: Beetroot juice
supplementation has been shown to improve muscle oxygenation during exercise,
suggesting that increased dietary nitrate intake has the potential to enhance
exercise tolerance during long-term endurance exercise. Quality of life for
those with cardiovascular, respiratory, or metabolic diseases, who find the
activities of daily living physically difficult because of lack of oxygenation,
could be improved.
Beetroot juice improved performance by 2.8% (11 seconds) in
a 4-km bicycle time trial and by 2.7% (45 seconds) in 16.1-km time trial.
On the next page we look at the nutritional breakdown of
beetroot, ways in which to incorporate more beetroot into your diet and the
possible health risks of consuming beetroot.
Nutritional breakdown of beetroot
One cup of raw beets contains 58 calories, 13 grams of carbohydrate (including 9
grams of sugar and 4 grams of fiber) and 2 grams of protein. It provides 1% of
daily vitamin A needs, 2% of calcium, 11% of vitamin C
and 6% of iron.
Beetroot is a rich source of folate and manganese and
also contains thiamine, riboflavin, vitamin B-6, pantothenic acid, choline,
betaine, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, zinc, copper and selenium.
Beets are high in dietary nitrate, which is believed to
be the reason why many of the potential health benefits of beetroot are being
studied.
How to incorporate more beetroot into your diet
Beets can be roasted, steamed, boiled, pickled or eaten raw.
Add sliced pickled beets to your favorite salad and top with goat cheese.
- Make your own beetroot juice by peeling beetroot and blending with a combination of fresh orange, mint and pineapple or apples, lemon and ginger. Blend and strain.
- Grate raw beets and add them to coleslaw or your favorite salad.
- Top roasted beets with goat cheese for a perfect pairing.
- Add sliced pickled beets to your favorite salad and top with goat cheese.
- Slice raw beets and serve them with lemon juice and a sprinkle of chili powder.
Recent developments on the health benefits of beetroot
from MNT news
Muscle power improves in patients with heart failure when
they adopt a diet high in nitrates - found in abundance in beetroot juice - a
new study in the journal Circulation: Heart Failure shows.
Potential health risks of consuming beetroot
If improperly stored, nitrate-containing vegetable juice may
accumulate bacteria that convert nitrate to nitrite and contaminate the juice.
High levels of nitrite can be potentially harmful if consumed.
A high-nitrate diet may interact with certain medications
such as organic nitrate (nitroglycerine) or nitrite drugs used for angina, sildenafil citrate,
tadalafil, and vardenafil.2
Drinking beetroot juice may cause red urine or stool.
It is the total diet or overall eating pattern that is most
important in disease prevention and achieving good health. It is better to eat
a diet with variety than to concentrate on individual foods as the key to good
health.
Further reading
Have you enjoyed reading about the potential health benefits
of beetroot? Take a look at our collection of
articles about other fruits and vegetables.
Alternatively, read our article about the top 10 healthy foods
for your daily diet.
Wallahu'alam.
Written by Megan Ware RDN LD
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