Beetroot or the beet is a root vegetable packed with essential nutrients such as fiber, folate, potassium, and iron. Beetroot is also an excellent source of dietary nitrates which the body can use to produce nitric oxide. Because of all the nutrients in beetroot, beetroot is associated with multiple health benefits, including improved blood flow, lowering blood pressure, and more. In this article, we will go over some of the best health benefits associated with consuming beetroot or beetroot juice.

 

10 Health Benefits of Beetroot

While the taste and texture are not for everyone, there are plenty of reasons it might be worth finding a way to eat more beets. Let’s explore some of the best health benefits of beetroot. Then you can decide for yourself if it’s worth it to add beets to your diet.

 

1. They Are Nutrient-Dense

One of the best health benefits of beetroot is that it is low-calorie but packed full of valuable nutrients your body needs to function optimally. Beets are low fat, low carb, and high fiber. On top of that, beets contain many essential vitamins and minerals such as:

 

  • Folate (vitamin B9). Folate is important for tissue growth and cellular function.
  • Potassium. A high intake of potassium can reduce water retention and lower blood pressure.
  • Iron. A mineral that is necessary for oxygen transport within red blood cells.
  • Vitamin C. A powerful antioxidant that helps the immune system stay strong.
  • Manganese. A trace element that is responsible for helping the body form connective tissue. Manganese also helps with brain function.

With a wrap sheet like this and more, it is easy to see this root vegetable packs quite a punch for our overall health.

 

2. Beets Boost Nitric Oxide Levels

If you have read a few of our other articles, you may be aware that aging can create a nitric oxide deficiency. If not, I’ll provide a brief explanation. As we age, our body’s natural NO production decreases. It is unavoidable and begins as early as your late 20s. By the time you are approaching age 50, you are already producing only 50% of what you were producing at age 25. How do we combat this loss of NO production? By making lifestyle changes necessary to promote optimal NO production. The biggest changes you can make include increasing your activity level and improving your diet. 

As far as beetroot is concerned, eating more of them will boost your nitric oxide thanks to the nitrates found in them. The body converts nitrates into nitric oxide as you digest beets, so if you want to boost your nitric oxide levels, eating beets is one of the best ways to do so. 

 

3. Beets Lower blood pressure

Beetroot lowering blood pressure is definitely a health benefit worth exploring for most. High blood pressure is one of the most common risk factors associated with cardiovascular disease and stroke. Furthermore, unless you are constantly checking your blood pressure, it is a risk factor that can unnoticed for a long time. High blood pressure can damage your blood vessels, arteries, and heart over time.

Eating specific fruits and vegetables such as beetroot can help reduce your risk of cardiovascular disease thanks to the reduced blood pressure. Studies have shown beetroot consumption lowers blood pressure for a few hours. This is assumed to be due to the increased nitric oxide levels from the nitrates in beets. Since this effect is only for a few hours, having beets in at least one meal or snack a day would go a long way in keeping your blood pressure in check.

 

4. Beetroot Improves Digestion

Some common digestive issues include:

 

  • bloating
  • constipation
  • indigestion
  • diarrhea
  • heartburn
  • stomach cramps

Obviously, this list is not exhaustive, and this could mean many things. However, what I want to highlight is that digestive problems are fairly common, affecting roughly 2/3 of people to some capacity. Beetroot can help with some of these problems. One of the health benefits of beetroot is its high fiber concentration. This means consuming more beets can make you more regular and help prevent constipation. Beets cannot help with all digestion issues, but if you struggle with bloating or constipation, adding more beets to your diet can certainly help alleviate some of these issues. As with any problem in the body, make sure you see a doctor to make sure it isn’t anything life-threatening.

 

5. They Help Improve Exercise Performance

Remember that I said changes to diet and exercise are the best ways to increase nitric oxide production? Well, one of the health benefits of beetroot is it can help improve exercise performance. Whether you are a newbie to fitness or a regular gym-goer, beetroot can increase your stamina and performance. This health benefit is once again due to the nitrate concentration found in beets. Since the intake of nitrates helps the body produce more nitric oxide, the body uses that nitric oxide to improve exercise performance. In turn, exercise helps the body produce more nitric oxide as well, so it creates a positive cycle once you get going.

In order to get these benefits in the gym, you can drink a glass of beetroot juice or eat some beetroot in a salad around 1-2 hours before you hit the gym. That way you have enough time to digest the food/juice and will be able to work out longer and harder (no pun intended).

 

6. Beetroot Helps Fight Cancer Cells

A potentially life-saving health benefit of consuming more beets is they may help fight cancer. This is believed to be due to the high antioxidant content of beetroot. Beets are a strong source of polyphenols, so are being looked at as a holistic method of fighting cancer. There was a 2021 study conducted that shows a positive correlation between supplementing with beetroot and chemopreventative properties, but more long-term studies are needed.

 

7. Beets Help With Weight Management

Like I said at the beginning of the article, beetroot is ideal for weight loss. This is because they are low-calorie, low-fat, and high-fiber. Here are some basic stats on the beetroot for your viewing pleasure.

Based on a serving size of one cup (136 grams) of beetroot:

 

  • Calories: 43
  • Water Content: ~88%
  • Protein: 1.6 grams (~3% of RDA)
  • Carbs: 9.6 grams (~13% of RDA)
  • Sugar: 6.8 grams (~7.5% of RDA)
  • Fiber: 2.8 grams (~2%-3% of RDA)
  • Fat: 0.2 grams (virtually no fat)

A great health benefit of high-fiber foods like beetroot is that they help you feel fuller longer. This means you won’t feel hungry as much. Add that to the already low-calorie content, and you have a great food option for weight loss.

 

8. Beetroot Helps Fight Inflammation

Another health benefit of beetroot is its antioxidant content. Beets contain polyphenols and betalains. These antioxidants have anti-inflammatory properties. This means beets may help fight inflammation in humans. More research is needed to confirm this, but there is some promise for this health benefit. Polyphenols have more research on fighting inflammation than betalains, so either way, the antioxidants found in beets may help fight inflammation.

 

9. Beets Help Keep Bones Strong

None of us want weaker bones. We kind of need those to do anything. Thankfully, consuming beetroot may help strengthen bones. This is due to the magnesium content within beets. We need magnesium to keep our bones strong. Since a serving of beetroot contains roughly 6% of our daily magnesium needs, beetroot helps our bones stay strong and resilient as we age.

 

10. They Keep Our Liver Healthy

This health benefit is a big one. Beetroot contains antioxidants and enzymes that help detoxify the liver by increasing bile production. This not only helps protect the liver but also allows function more efficiently. Since the liver is the body’s main detoxifier, we want to do what we can to keep it healthy. Eating beetroot is certainly a good place to start.

 

How Can You Incorporate Beetroot Into Your Diet?

Beets are surprisingly versatile as far as options for adding them to a balanced diet. Beetroot can be eaten raw, canned, pickled, steamed, boiled, or roasted. Below I will list some common ways you can add more beetroot to your diet.

 

  • Beetroot juice (homemade or store-bought).
  • Beet powder (can be added to oatmeal, smoothies, or baked goods).
  • Chopped up and added to salads.
  • Crushed up and used in hummus or homemade dips.
  • Blend beets into smoothies.
  • Dice them up to add to a slaw.
  • Supplemented as a powder mix or lozenge to take on the go.

 

Of course, there are plenty of other ways to prepare beets (might be a future article). This is a good starting point to explore the best way to fit beets into your diet based on needs, preferences, and lifestyle.

As a final thought, make sure to do your research and make sure beetroot is a good choice for you. For most people, beets are safe for consumption. Get creative and find interesting ways to add beets to your diet. They are packed with tons of health benefits that one article just isn’t enough to cover (again…might be a future article). Be sure to share this new info with someone who needs a good reason to try beets. For more info on nitric oxide and other healthy living tips, check out the rest of our blog here.