Benefits of Beets

2015-01-14T07:14:00.004-08:00

Benefits of Beets
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Benefits of Beets

Beets are an ancient, prehistoric food that grew naturally along coastlines in North Africa, Asia, and Europe. Originally, it was the beet greens that were consumed; the sweet red beet root that most people think of as a "beet" today wasn't cultivated until the era of ancient Rome.1

By the 19th century, however, the natural sweetness of beets came to be appreciated and beets began to be used as a source of sugar (reportedly, Napoleon was responsible for declaring that beets be used as a primary source of sugar after the British restricted access to sugar cane).2

Today, sugar beets (unfortunately often genetically modified) are a common raw material used for the production of sugar, but many people are missing out on including them in whole form in their regular diet.

There's good reason to do so, in fact, as beets contain a variety of unique health-boosting nutrients that you may not be getting elsewhere. Plus, they're delicious!

Why Eat Beets? 6 Top Reasons

Beet roots have always been included in my most recommended vegetables list, although they are in the "use sparingly" category because of their high carbohydrate levels.

Although beets have the highest sugar content of all vegetables, most people can safely eat beet roots a few times a week (and their greens in unlimited quantities), enjoying not only their sweet, earthy flavor but also their powerhouse nutrients that may improve your health in the following ways.

1. Lower Your Blood Pressure

Drinking beet juice may help to lower blood pressure in a matter of hours. One study found that drinking one glass of beet juice lowered systolic blood pressure by an average of 4-5 points.3

The benefit likely comes from the naturally occurring nitrates in beets, which are converted into nitric oxide in your body. Nitric oxide, in turn, helps to relax and dilate your blood vessels, improving blood flow and lowering blood pressure.

2. Boost Your Stamina

If you need a boost to make it through your next workout, beet juice may again prove valuable. Those who drank beet juice prior to exercise were able to exercise for up to 16 percent longer.4 The benefit is thought to also be related to nitrates turning into nitric oxide, which may reduce the oxygen cost of low-intensity exercise as well as enhance tolerance to high-intensity exercise.

3. Fight Inflammation

Beets are a unique source of betaine, a nutrient that helps protects cells, proteins, and enzymes from environmental stress. It's also known to help fight inflammation, protect internal organs, improve vascular risk factors, enhance performance, and likely help prevent numerous chronic diseases.5 As reported by the World's Healthiest Foods:6

"[Betaine's]… presence in our diet has been associated with lower levels of several inflammatory markers, including C reactive protein, interleukin-6, and tumor necrosis factor alpha. As a group, the anti-inflammatory molecules found in beets may eventually be shown to provide cardiovascular benefits in large-scale human studies, as well as anti-inflammatory benefits for other body systems."

4. Anti-Cancer Properties

The powerful phytonutrients that give beets their deep crimson color may help to ward off cancer. Research has shown that beetroot extract reduced multi-organ tumor formations in various animal models when administered in drinking water, for instance, while beetroot extract is also being studied for use in treating human pancreatic, breast, and prostate cancers.7

5. Rich in Valuable Nutrients and Fiber

Beets are high in immune-boosting vitamin C, fiber, and essential minerals like potassium (essential for healthy nerve and muscle function) and manganese (which is good for your bones, liver, kidneys, and pancreas). Beets also contain the B vitamin folate, which helps reduce the risk of birth defects.

6. Detoxification Support

The betalin pigments in beets support your body's Phase 2 detoxification process, which is when broken down toxins are bound to other molecules so they can be excreted from your body. Traditionally, beets are valued for their support in detoxification and helping to purify your blood and your liver.

Eat Your Beet Greens Too

If you simply throw away the green leafy tops to your beets, you're doing yourself a disservice, as these are among the healthiest part of the plant.
Besides containing important nutrients like protein, phosphorus, zinc, fiber, vitamin B6, magnesium, potassium, copper, and manganese, beet greens also supply significant amounts of vitamin A, vitamin C, calcium, and iron.

Beet greens actually have even more iron than spinach (another leafy green in the same botanical family) as well as a higher nutritional value overall than the beetroot itself. For more details, read "What Are Beet Greens Good For?" You may be surprised to learn, for instance, that research shows beet greens may:

Help ward off osteoporosis by boosting bone strength
Fight Alzheimer's disease
Strengthen your immune system by stimulating the production of antibodies and white blood cells

If you've never tried beet greens before, don't let them intimidate you. They can be added raw to vegetable juice or sautéed lightly right along with other greens like spinach and Swiss chard.

Try This Healing Recipe for Russian Beet Soup (Borscht)

There are many ways to enjoy beets:

Grate them raw over salads
Add them to your fresh vegetable juice
Lightly steam them
Marinate them with lemon juice, herbs, and olive oil

For an even more intense flavor, try Borscht, or beet soup, which is a traditional Russian dish. This particular recipe below, from Dirt Doctor, also includes homemade broth, making it particularly nourishing and healing.

Borscht

Ingredients:

1 quart of organic, homemade broth (preferably beef or buffalo)
1 tablespoon butter
3 or 4 medium size beets – thinly sliced
1 onion – thinly sliced
1 cup of shredded red cabbage
1/8 cup minced parsley
1 tablespoon Sherry (optional)
Lemon juice – 1 tablespoon
Salt and pepper
Sour Cream (optional)

Instructions:

Over medium low heat, melt butter in a medium size soup pot.
Add onions and beets and cook until soft – about 7 or 8 minutes.
Add a dash of salt and pepper. Stir in broth.
Simmer for about 20 minutes. Then add fresh cabbage, parsley, nutmeg, and sherry. Simmer for a couple minutes more, season with additional salt and pepper, serve, and enjoy.
Add a dollop of crème fraiche or sour cream if you like.

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Beets Health Benefits

2015-01-14T06:56:00.001-08:00

Beets Health Benefits
Are you looking for Beets Health Benefits tips? Are you looking for something to freshen up your body? Check out our hot Health Benefits tips so you can start looking and feeling your very best. Are you trying to catch the man/woman of your dreams?
Do you want to make sure your body and face always look perfectly done? Do you want tips on how you can obtain flawless looking body? Keep on reading to find out all this and more!

Beets Health Benefits

Beets health benefits are something that many of us have not really thought about. The health benefits of beets are crucial to our bodily well being, they provide shelter against cancer, boost our immunity system, and a wonderful source of iron. Once we discover more regarding beets we find they are low in calories and are naturally sweet.

Other than being low calorie, they do not contain any saturated fats or Trans fats. We can consume beets is just about any form for their benefits. We do not necessarily need to purchase fresh beets, canned beets are inexpensive and supply us the same nutritional value. They may be purchased canned either sliced, whole, or julienne style. If we chill the can we can eat them right out of that container or use as a topping for any type of salad.

They contain an ample helping of carbohydrates which provide the body with fuel for extra energy and sports activities. They supply us with iron, calcium, phosperous, magnesium, and sodium along with vitamins A and C and niacin. They are high in fiber and will help reduce our serum cholesterol up to about forty percent.

Pregnant women benefit greatly from beets due to the fact they contain folic acid which is necessary in the development of the spinal column and the maintenance of new cells of the infant. Patients recovering from a physical ailment also benefit from the folic acid in beets. Consuming beets is much healthier than any herbal supplement that is purchased over-the-counter. The best way for our bodies to receive nutrients and vitamins is through the food we eat because they will get to the bloodstream faster than any supplement.

There have been studies made showing beets help guard against cancers such as colon cancer. This root vegetable is also a traditional way for treating leukemia. This approach, called a red beet therapy, consists of eating about two pounds of raw mashed beets per day that has had good reports for treating leukemia and tumors. Medical studies have also shown by having beets in our diet helps protect us against heart disease, helps to lower our blood pressure and in the prevention of varicose veins.

Beets can be consumed raw, steamed, boiled, roasted or sauteed. Raw beets, if juiced, are potentially very powerful. It has been know that some people have gotten a natural high from a glass of beet juice. In order to prevent this from happening, mix the beet juice with apple juice or carrot juice; you will not get the 'high' but you will get all the health benefits. Once you start eating red beets on an every day basis you will most likely see a reddish color to your urine and stools, this is perfectly normal and not to worry, it is caused from beets coloring.

The pigment in beets is called betacyanin and that is what gives it the red color, this helps the fight against cancer. The pigment is absorbed into our corpuscles and increases the oxygen to our blood. Beets are also known for helping cleanse the colon, the blood and strengthening our gall bladder and liver.

The bright red color of beets makes a beautiful garnish to any meal presentation. They can be added to any type of cold salad or hot salad for an easy lunchtime meal. When you grow beets in your vegetable garden, the leaves on the young plants are a wonderful addition to a salad. Once the plants mature those same greens taste better if you cook them the same as spinach. The roots can be canned, pickled, and stored for use during the winter or you can cook them fresh out of the garden.

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Author : Barbara E. Volkov