Useful Properties Of Beets

For most people, beets are not the most frequent product in the diet. And for nothing. Today, against the background of the popularity of various exotic superfoods, we should not forget about vegetables and root crops that are traditional for our area .

It is important to understand that in terms of health benefits, beets can beat many expensive products and fashionable bio-additives. It is not for nothing that the ancient Persians and Assyrians considered beets a medicinal plant. Hippocrates, Cicero, and Avicenna appreciated its healing properties. What do we know about the root vegetable today, and what does modern science say about it?

Beets are good for digestion

The ancient Romans used beets to treat digestive problems. And they did it right. The root vegetable contains a large amount of fiber (about 3.81 g in a glass of the product), which is known to have a positive effect on the digestion process and the health of the digestive tract. According to research by the US Department of Agriculture (USDA), 180 g of the root vegetable contains up to 8.81% of the daily fiber requirement for a person.

Beets are rich in betalain

Betalain is a bright red pigment that gives beets their rich red-purple color. It is known for its ability to slow down carcinogenesis, that is, the development of malignant mutations in body cells. According to research conducted by the Department of Microbiology and Immunology at the University of Montana (USA) in 2019, this substance relieves inflammation and reduces the level of oxidative stress.

It would be too hasty to draw conclusions that regular consumption of beets can eliminate the risk of developing cancer. And yet you should not forget about the root crop , because even small steps to prevent diseases will never be superfluous.

Beet increases endurance during sports

Numerous clinical studies have shown that consumption of beet juice helps saturate muscles with oxygen and improve endurance. In 2019, scientists from Aalborg University in Denmark found that cyclists who drank beet juice before the start of the test showed higher performance during the experiment and improved their own performance.

Such an effect is provided by the dietary nitrates present in beets , which upon contact with saliva are transformed into nitric oxide. It is he who saturates human muscles with oxygen. To the attention of fans of active training who strive to break new records: the effect of beetroot juice occurs on average 30-40 minutes after consumption. But if beets are eaten regularly, the effect will be cumulative, which can increase endurance in general.

Beetroot helps with anemia

According to WHO data, about ⅓ of the world's population suffers from anemia, more often women. Anemia often occurs in a rather mild form, in which special iron supplements are not prescribed. However, even a mild form of this condition can be manifested by rather unpleasant symptoms: deterioration of the quality or loss of hair, brittle nails, muscle weakness.

Beets are rich in iron - the main component of red blood cells, without which erythrocytes cannot carry oxygen throughout the body. After all, adding a root crop to the diet will be useful both for the prevention of anemia and for combating its first manifestations.

Beets are a great antioxidant

Beetroot juice contains a large amount of vitamin A, beta-carotene, ferulic acid and flavonoids. These components are powerful antioxidants: they protect our body from the effects of free radicals and help the liver to remove toxins. In addition, the antioxidants present in the root crop have a positive effect on metabolism, soften the effects of UV rays and reduce inflammation.