Beets Health Benefits: Health food or hype?

This year there seems to be a stream of never-ending recipe options for roasting, toasting, and mashing beets into your Thanksgiving and Christmas meals. But are beets worth finding their way into your everyday menu?

Everyone is trying to get beets onto the table one way or another because of the health benefits they offer. However, what can you expect to gain by adding beets to your diet and what category do beets fall under anyway? Are they more of a potato? Or, are they closer to a carrot? Let’s explore the health benefits of beets!

This beautiful root vegetable has numerous health benefits. Beets are a worthwhile addition to your diet.

What are Beetroots?

Beetroots are the taproot portion of the beet plants. They are also referred to as beets, golden beets, garden beets, table beets or red beets in different areas worldwide. Beets are a popularly known root vegetable rich in vitamins, minerals and plant compounds that have medicinal properties. These roots are not only delicious but really boost your health in several ways.

Bonus: Beets are also naturally sweet and so are a great choice when you are craving something healthy and tasty.

Benefits of Healthy Beetroots You Should be Aware of

Weight Loss

Because beets are good for detoxing due to high levels of antioxidants, they will assist you in losing weight. This is because beets do not have fat and are an excellent producer of dietary fiber, i.e. insoluble and soluble fiber. Both insoluble and soluble fibers assist in eliminating fat in the body by maintaining a suitable bowel function as well as by lowering cholesterol levels.

Beetroots are also rich in magnesium; a mineral that functions in the body by supporting optimal muscle and nerve performance to keep you moving and well. This indicates that the magnesium from beets could be helpful with weight loss purpose also. [1]

Lowering Blood Pressure

Beets have a high level of dietary nitrate content and this can help produce heart-healthy benefits. This converts to NO (nitric oxide) in the body and nitric oxide helps relax blood vessels. This can help lower blood pressure and produce heart-healthy effects. [4]

One easy way to get this effect is to take beet juice regularly and juicing is an easy and fast way to include it in a smoothie or broth.

Roasting beets is just one of many delicious preparations. Consume beets or beet juice for improved health.

Improving Digestion

If you experience poor digestion, it is a good idea to add beetroots to your dietary routine. Beets can excite the nerves in your intestines thereby enhancing the ability of the body to digest food. A glass of beet juice contains approximately 3.5 grams of fiber. That makes beets an excellent source of fiber.

The fiber in beets can bypass digestion and travel down to your colon. It can eventually feed the friendly gut bacteria that are associated with helping correct poor digestion. This also helps to keep you regular which makes going to the bathroom easier and more enjoyable.

Boosting Strength

Beetroot juice is considered an excellent drink for workout enthusiasts. The juice has the capacity of boosting endurance during your workouts and therefore you should drink it prior to hitting the gym. This can help you work out longer without getting tired. [2]

Boosts Brain Power

Drinking beet juice regularly improves blood flow to the frontal lobe of your brain. This additional blood flow increases brain functions that control focus, attention to detail, and organization. This is especially crucial for people as they age and brain function begins to slow down. [3]

Bottom Line

Beets are a beneficial food to add to your diet if you are looking to lose weight, lower blood pressure, improve your digestion, or gain an edge during your workouts. They have many health benefits and are rich in vitamins and minerals.

Not only are they healthy for you, but they make a tasty addition to any meal. There are so many different ways for you to consume beets that you will never get bored!

A simple and tasty way to ensure beets make it into your daily dietary routine is to put them in a smoothie.

Healthy Beet Smoothie

Looking for a tasty way to get beets into your diet on a daily basis? Try a beet smoothie! They are perfect, whether you are looking for a snack, something you can take on the go, or a fun, colorful treat.

Try this sweet treat that will give your day, and your health, a positive boost!

Ingredients: