What Are The Health Benefits of Beets?

Whether you have a love or hate relationship with beets, one thing is for certain: beets have proven to hold many health benefits.

That's right - this commonly disliked earthy and colourful vegetable should actually be added to your diet for a couple of different reasons. This may be hard for some as they find beets just taste like dirt, but beets really are more than that. When you come to appreciate this root veggie, you'll find it actually has a bitter yet sweet and fresh flavour and is delicious raw, cooked, or pickled.

The Top 4 Benefits of Beets & Beetroot Juice

There are many different kinds of beets, all of which can be beneficial to your health such as:

• Bull's Blood
• Chioggia, or "candystripe"
• Crosby Egyptian
• Detroit Dark Red
• Golden Beets
• Golden Detroit
• Moulin Rouge
• And Red ball, just to name a few

Whichever type of beet you choose, or if you decide to drink beet juice, feel rest assured knowing you're making a great addition to your diet.

1. Low In Calories But High In Nutrients

When you eat beets, rest assured knowing you're digesting many vital nutrients, minerals and vitamins your body needs to thrive. And, it's even better news if you're counting your calories as they do not have a high-calorie count. Per each 100g serving of cooked beets, it's approximately 55 calories. Consuming beets also provides your body with the following:

• Copper
• Fibre
• Iron
• Magnesium
• Protein
• Potassium
• Vitamins A, B and C

All of these are extremely beneficial to heart health, bone formation, and brain function.

2. Improve Blood Flow & Lower Blood Pressure

If you have high blood pressure, you can safely eat beets along with taking your blood pressure medication to help lower blood pressure levels. Increasing blood flow and lowering blood pressure reduces your risk of heart disease.

Beets are rich in dietary nitrate which helps widen blood vessels and can also improve exercise performance (nitrates are also responsible for producing energy) and brain function.

3. Anti-Inflammatory Properties

Beets also contain betalains – a nitrogen-based pigment that has been shown to provide antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and detoxification support. Scientific research has also been done linking betalains and reduced tumour growth together. While further research is needed, drinking beetroot juice daily may end up working in your favour if you suffer from chronic inflammation or other chronic diseases.

4. Boosts Immune Function

Because this root vegetable is rich in iron and vitamin C, it can help create more necessary red blood cells in your body. In turn, this can help fight against infections, get rid of bad bacteria in your gut, and even improve the appearance of your skin. Eating beets can especially be beneficial in the winter when you're more prone to coming down with a cold and not getting a lot of sunlight.

If you're suffering from constipation, drinking beet juice can improve your gut health by providing you with much-needed fibre that is much-needed for digestion.

When To Avoid Beets

If you have kidney stones, it's best to avoid both beets and beetroot juice because it's high in oxalates – a contributor to kidney stones.

It's also important to be aware of the fact that beet allergies are more common than you think. If you have a food pollen allergy, which usually occurs in people who are already allergic to pollens and suffer from hay fever, you may notice some of the following symptoms if beets are ingested:

• Itching and mild swelling of the throat
• Abdominal pain, nausea, or vomiting
• And in rare cases trouble to breathe

These occur because your immune system recognizes the pollen and similar proteins in the food and directs an allergic response to it. Symptoms of food pollen allergies are typically mild, but they can be completely avoided if beets are not eaten raw. When cooked, the proteins become distorted and your immune system won't recognize it.

Are Beets A Nightshade Vegetable?

While this is a common misconception, no, beets are root vegetables, not nightshade vegetables. Nightshade vegetables can be linked to causing inflammation whereas beets can prevent it.

Potatoes, tomatoes, eggplants, bell peppers and spices sourced from peppers are all examples of nightshade vegetables.

Start Adding Beets or Beetroot Juice To Your Diet

If you're asking the question "are beets good for you?" then you've come to the right place. Whether you suffer from inflammation, constipation, or high blood pressure, eating raw beets, cooked beets, or drinking beetroot juice can have many potential benefits. So yes, they are very good for human health and are full of essential vitamins needed to help you look and feel your best. If you find it hard to drink beetroot juice or eat raw or roasted beets because you don't like the taste, health stores also carry beetroot powder or capsules.

Make Sure To Try Our Butternut Squash Beet Sauce

Introduce beets into your healthy diet with ease with the help of our delicious, vegan, butternut squash beet sauce – a versatile sauce that can be used on pizza, flatbread, in pasta, in soup, or as a dressing. It's also free of nightshade vegetables!