BEETS | IwonaByoga

Just Beet It

Beets have always been and remain one of the world's most underutilized 'super foods' with a number of powerful, evidence-based health benefits.

Beets are one of Nature's finest cardiovascular tonics...

Known scientifically as Beta vulgaris.

I want to share with you some amazing properties of beets.

Beetroots are especially high in folate, manganese, and copper.

Folate is essential for DNA synthesis and preventing neural tube defects in babies. It’s also been shown to reduce risk for heart disease, cancer, and depression.
Manganese is needed for enzymatic processes in your body, as well as for metabolism, wound healing, and healthy bones.
Copper keeps your immune system healthy, helps create red blood cells, and supports energy production.
Beet greens are full of vitamins A, C, K, and B2.

Red beets get their rich pigment from phytonutrients called betalains. As you can see, beets are very high in nutrition.

Benefits of Beets:

They Are Good for Your Heart -

Beets are a great source of nitrates. Nitrates are compounds that convert to nitric oxide in the body. Nitric oxide opens up your blood vessels, which helps lower blood pressure and heart rate. researchers found that drinking one cup of beetroot juice daily for four weeks was able to reduce blood pressure.

They Can Make You a Better Athlete -

The nitrates in beets improve blood flow, which helps move oxygen throughout your body. Beets can also increase time-to-exhaustion in athletes. In other words, drinking beet juice before exercise seems to prevent fatigue.

They Can Reduce Inflammation in Your Body -

The betalain in beets can reduce inflammation, which researchers theorize is partially due to its ability to interfere with the inflammatory signaling process.

They Can Improve Your Digestive Health -

Beets are high in fiber, which is good for your gut.

The fiber in beets resists digestion in the stomach and small intestine and travels more or less intact into the colon, where your health-promoting gut bacteria ferment it and use it for food.

They Are Good for Your Brain -

Many cognitive diseases appear to be triggered by an interruption in nitric oxide pathways. It makes sense then that nitrates in beets can help improve brain function by increasing oxygen flow.

They Have Cancer-Fighting Properties -

Beets are known to have antioxidant properties, which protect cells from free radicals.

They Boost Your Immunity -

Beets are high in zinc, copper, and vitamins A and C — all nutrients known to boost immunity.

Vitamin A increases antibody production and stimulates your white blood cells, which help ward off infections.

Beets also contain iron, which is needed to carry oxygen throughout your body, keep your cells strong, and enhance immune defense.

They Can Boost Your Libido -

The use of beets as an aphrodisiac dates back to the time of the Romans, who attributed the beauty and allure of Aphrodite (goddess of love) to her insatiable appetite for beets.

A European folk belief holds that if a man and woman eat of the same beetroot, they are destined to fall in love. (Kind of an ancient version of sipping a root beer float through two straws. In fact, some old recipes for making authentic root beer include beets among the roots used.)

Beets are rich in the mineral boron, which plays a role in sex hormone production.

The effectiveness of dietary nitrates in beets to enhance blood flow can benefit sexual health as well. And some studies suggest beet juice can be effective in treating erectile dysfunction.

They Are Good for Your Eyes -

Beets contain lutein and zeaxanthin, which are well-studied for their positive impact on vision. Consuming these carotenoids can prevent and slow the progression of age-related macular degeneration, the leading cause of adult vision loss in America.

They Are Good for Your Liver -

Beets have an abundance of nutrients that keep your liver healthy — such as iron, antioxidants, betaine, and vitamin B.

Beetroot helps protect the liver from oxidative damage and inflammation. The betaines in beets help the liver eliminate toxins. And betalains encourage the detoxification process. Also, pectin, a water-soluble fiber in these root vegetables, helps flush out toxins from the liver.

You can steam, boil, or pickle beets, blend them into soups and sauces or juice them with ginger and turmeric. And adding cooked beets to baked goods like chocolate cake increases moisture and adds nutrients.