About Top 3 Benefits of Beetroot
Beetroot is a root vegetable that became popular in Roman times and was used for treating wounds more than it was for eating.
Even though it has since gained more popularity on the food spectrum, research studies have shown that people tend to need time to get used to the flavor of the beetroot.
Results show that it is not something that the majority of people take to immediately, in fact, most people will not eat it again.
It is grown in the ground and though it is similar to turnips and the sugar beet it has a very earthy flavor to it which turns people away.
However, if the beetroot is cooked and seasoned properly it does have a sweet taste and a tender, easy to eat texture. You can also find beetroot in yellow and white versions instead of the usual red variety.
You can easily add beetroot to most recipes and make it the star of your dish or a great side item.
Beetroot has many healthy components including potassium, iron, folic acid. As with any food or drink, you want to be careful about how much beetroot you ingest.
There are some side effects to eating too much beetroot or consuming it in large amounts at one time.
One of those side effects is pink urine. As strange as it may sound, consuming large amounts of beetroot can cause your urine to turn pink.
While that may not seem like a terrible side effect, if you are taking a urine test for a job or during a yearly health screening, you should let the person administering the test know that you have eaten beetroot.
The pink color to your urine could be taken as blood in the urine which could cause the doctor to run more tests on you or it could cause your job to second guess what you have been doing.
Beetroot can also cause kidney stones if it is consumed in large amounts or eaten on a daily basis.
The oxalates in the beetroot can cause your body to not absorb any calcium, which means it will turn into stones and take up residence in your kidneys.
You will need to monitor your intake of beetroot and beetroot juice to make sure that you are not overloading your system and causing more harm than good.
There are three specific types of health benefits from taking beetroot or beetroot juice, as listed below.
Blood Pressure Management
Beetroot contains nitrate which has been shown to help lower and manage high blood pressure. In a London study, those who consumed beetroot juice for 24 hours showed a significant drop in their blood pressure.
The recommended dosage for helping to lower blood pressure was to drink about 8 ounces of beetroot juice every day.
Not only would this help to lower blood pressure and help maintain a healthy level, it also helped the study participants to adapt to the taste of the beetroot juice.
Most stated that drinking it on a daily basis made it easier to manage and helped with the overall taste once they became used to taking it.
Beetroot juice would be a great addition to the diet of people who have extremely high blood pressure and are on multiple medications.
This natural approach to blood pressure management could help them to come off some of their other medications. However, anyone taking medication for any reason should not discontinue taking it unless they are cleared to do so by their medical doctor.
Brain Power and Dementia
US research studies conducted on the elderly have shown significant promise when it comes to beetroot juice and the brain.
Elderly patients who consumed beetroot juice on a regular basis showed signs of increased blood and oxygen flow to their brain, which could help keep the effects of dementia at bay.
The nitrates in the beetroot juice are dilating the blood vessels and allowing more blood flow to the brain.
It is also helping to carry oxygen to places that may be oxygen deprived which can help prevent different types of brain injuries and keep the brain healthy for longer.
More research is being conducted to see just what the beetroot juice can do in terms of preventing dementia and Alzheimer’s disease.
Running
In a 2011 study, runners who consumed beetroot before a large marathon were shown to be around 40 seconds faster than those who did not eat the beetroot.
According to the study, the nitrates in the beetroot seemed to be the cause of the increase in speed for the runners.
Like with brain and dementia studies, the nitrates are dilating the blood vessels in the body and allowing more oxygen to flow. By boosting the amount of oxygen flowing through the body, they are increasing their performance without resorting to other unnatural measures.
The study also concluded that drinking beetroot juice was not recommended immediately before running due to the fact that a large portion of runners became sick during the run.
Beetroot juice sits heavier on the stomach than water or sports drink do, so staying away from the juice directly before a run is highly suggested.
Benefits of Beetroot Review Summary
Whether you are new to the beetroot scene or you are an expert, you should always remember to consume the beetroot in moderation.
Make sure you understand all of the side effects associated with beetroot and beetroot juice and do not take more than is recommended.
You want to make sure that you are still helping your body by taking it and not putting yourself in harm’s way.
Talk with your medical doctor before you begin taking beetroot and make sure that you are healthy enough to consume it and find out exactly how much of it you need to consume.
You will want to make sure that you are not overdoing it and putting yourself at an increased risk for kidney stones.
Do not replace any medications with beetroot before your doctor tells you that you are able to. Doing so could result in a relapse of symptoms or other negative side effects.
