Our mothers were undoubtedly right when they emphasized the importance of consuming vegetables, especially the humble beetroot. This unassuming root, a delicacy in many dishes, is not just a culinary delight but also a treasure trove of health benefits, serving as a natural remedy for various ailments, including anemia.
Scientifically known as Beta vulgaris, beetroot goes by many names such as red beet, table beet, or garden beet. Packed with vital nutrients, beetroots offer a rich supply of fiber, folate (vitamin B9), manganese, potassium, iron, and vitamin C. While beetroots are delicious when eaten raw, they are more commonly cooked or pickled. Additionally, their leaves, known as beet greens, are edible and nutritious. Beetroots primarily consist of water (87%), carbohydrates (8%), and fiber (2–3%). In a 100-gram serving of raw beetroot, you'll find 43 calories, 88% water, 1.6 grams of protein, 9.6 grams of carbohydrates, 6.8 grams of sugar, 2.8 grams of fiber, and 0.2 grams of fat.
In this article, we delve deeper into why beetroot should be a staple in your daily meals, whether cooked or as a refreshing salad. Read on to discover the myriad health benefits and nutritional advantages of incorporating this versatile vegetable into your diet. Stay informed and make the most of what nature has to offer for your well-being.
# Control The Blood PressureHigh blood pressure can damage your blood vessels and heart. What’s more, it’s among the strongest risk factors for heart disease, stroke, and premature death worldwide. Eating beetroot will lower the pressure in the blood. Doctor says beetroot s rich as a nitrate induced fibre, which helps bring down the levels of blood pressure in the body. Being a power house of nitrates, the root when consumed would create nitric oxides which along with nitrates help the blood pressure levels and the arteries. A cup of beetroot in any form and everyday when consumed would help the blood pressure levels every six hours stay normal. The more you consume beetroot, the better it would be for the blood, say sources.
# Balance CholesterolBeetroot also has helped many lower the cholesterol levels and the bad cholesterol in their system. This is because the root has plenty of soluble fibres in them, along with betacyanin and flavonoids. Betacyanin is a compound which makes the root purplish red, and also provides the root with antioxidants, which is important for our blood too. This vegetable is rich in solvent filaments which are dietary strands that can help in bringing down and controlling LDL along with flavonoids.
# Health BabyFor expectant mothers, beetroot would be the best thing to have, once a day. The root is rich with folic acids, which expectant mothers can highly benefit from. Even the foetus and the unborn little one would need the essential folic acid, since the component would help with the child’s spinal cord formation as well, and prevent spina bifida from happening too. Moreover, pregnant women need all the energy boost they can, and they need it for two, which is what beetroot would give.
# Increased Exercise CapacityNumerous studies suggest that nitrates can enhance physical performance, particularly during high-intensity endurance exercise. Dietary nitrates have been shown to reduce oxygen use during physical exercise by affecting the efficiency of mitochondria, the cell organs responsible for producing energy. Consumption of beetroots may improve running and cycling performance, increase stamina, boost oxygen use, and lead to better exercise performance overall.
# Bone StrengthBeetroot is rich in different minerals including silica. It helps the body in using calcium, which in turns gives quality to the bones and anticipates conditions, for example, osteoporosis and associated disorders. Beetroot would help beat brittle bones and low bone density, osteoporosis too. Supplements, for example, Vitamin C, magnesium and, which this vegetable contains, are additionally imperative for bone quality. The body needs calcium and this is found in abundance in beetroot, which would help teeth and bones on a large scale.
# Helps in detoxificationBeetroot is reckoned to be a great purifier. It detoxifies your body by pulling the toxins into the colon from where they can be evacuated. Some studies suggest that beetroot juice might also stimulate red blood cell production and build stamina.
# Hair CareBeetroot is actually one of the best home remedies to fight the flakes and an itchy scalp. You can boil some beets in water and use the concentrated liquid to massage on the scalp. Alternatively, you can mix some beetroot juice, vinegar and ginger juice and apply to the scalp. Keep this for 20 minutes and rinse.
# Fight InflammationChronic inflammation is associated with a number of diseases, such as obesity, heart disease, liver disease and cancer. Beets contain pigments called betalains, which may potentially possess a number of anti-inflammatory properties. Beetroot juice and beetroot extract have been shown to reduce kidney inflammation in rats injected with toxic chemicals known to induce serious injury. One study in humans with osteoarthritis showed that betalain capsules made with beetroot extract reduced pain and discomfort associated with the condition.
# Control DiabetesLower your diabetes and do this the natural way, a glass of beetroot juice would help any day. Beetroot has natural sugars, is low in calories and would help with the glycemic index too, which is what doctors too recommend. This would mean that the consumption of beetroot helps with the lowering of blood sugar levels in the body, and you wouldn’t crave for sugary junk delights.