The Humble Beetroot, its Hidden Health Benefits

Beetroot, the health benefits of having it in your diet

Beets are not just for pickling

Do you eat beetroot regularly? If not, I would like to tell you about this old and rarely appreciated vegetable. Its uses are many. The Russians make a great soup out of beetroot called borscht. It is made with sour cream and known in different countries like Poland, Ukraine, Lithuania, Romania, Armenia, and Russia.

Perhaps you would like to cook this soup yourself:
Russian Borscht Recipe

Vitamins and minerals from beetroot

This well-known vegetable is a must add to your menu as it is full of vitamins A, many B’s, and also C. It also contains a lot of different minerals: Calcium, Iron, Magnesium, Manganese, Phosphorus, Potassium, Sodium, and Zinc.

It was first cultivated by the Romans, and by the 19th century, it became valuable when it was discovered that it was one source of sugar.

Sugar beet on field image aixklusiv

This vegetable is eatable, be it the root which is sweet, or also the leaves which are bitter. Whenever I had beetroot growing in the vegetable garden, I would cut a few leaves to add to mixed salads. Also, the root can be eaten raw, and it tastes great, but people often prefer cooked or pickled.

Battling infections

The fiber of this vegetable will increase your white blood cells, which we have to fight infections. They find abnormal cells and will eliminate them. White cells are our soldiers. Another important fact is that red beetroot is the vegetable with one of the highest sources of Glutamine.

Beet root harvest image Alexey Hulsov

Additional reasons for consuming Beetroot

There are many more reasons why to eat beetroot regularly.

A study in the Hypertension Journal shows us that beet juice seems to be an effective means to lower blood pressure but not, as most medication has, with any negative side effects.
It is rich in fiber and we all know how important that is for gut health.

If you drink beet juice before you do your workout it increases your endurance by a good 16%. It reduces any inflammation you might have in your body as the nutrient betaine in the beets protects proteins, enzymes, and our cells from environmental stress. Modern life is full of stress, be it stress in our personal life or caused by our surroundings.

In the following YouTube video, they instruct you on how to grow beetroot.

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Beetroot aids blood flow

Due to its nitric oxide content, it can relax and dilate the blood vessels, which improves the blood flow and lowers the pressure.

Another very positive aspect of eating more beetroot is that it has detoxification properties and cleans out the blood and liver.

It also lowers triglycerides and LDL and increases HDL. When your arteries are clean, there is less chance of getting a stroke and other heart ailments.

Vegetables with a deep color have a lot of antioxidants and cancer-fighting abilities. They have proven that beetroot extract is beneficial in a variety of cancer types as it inhibits the growth of tumor formations.

Beetroot soup image RitaE

Beetroot also has an elevated vitamin C content and therefore is effective in combating respiratory issues like asthma and even other lung ailments, including cancer.

Our eyes will also show improvement as beetroot fights, macular degeneration, cataracts, and other eye problems.

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Juicing can help with a lot of ailments

Try making this fresh juice at home.
Carrots, beetroot, celery, 1 apple, cucumber, and a little parsley. Besides tasting great, you will soon feel and see the benefits of this healthy drink.

If you are a beginner, then this book will be of great help. I consider it a real reference book and a bestseller on top.

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Conclusion

There you see, once again nature is here to help us. The more natural you live and eat, the healthier you will be for sure. Time is passing and studies on beetroot continue. They discover more health benefits. Who would have thought that of the humble beetroot? Anyhow, it is a clever idea to include this vegetable in your diet.

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Source: NaturalHealth365. Roxanne Fisher, Health editor of BBC Good Food.

Photo Source: Pixabay

There are more vegetables that are worth a second look. Perhaps you also like to read the following post on another healthy vegetable.

All the Surprising Facts about the Cucumber