Beets are an incredibly nutrient dense food that, between both root and greens, offer a number of health benefits. I will only cover those of beet root today, though, as that’s what I used in the recipe and save the greens for another day!
Beet Root
1 cup cooked provides:
· Folate (34%)
· Manganese (24%)
· Copper (14%)
· Potassium (11%)
· Phosphorus (9%)
· Magnesium (9%)
· Vitamin C (8%)
· Iron (7%)
· Vitamin B6 (6%)
· Fiber (12%)
Health Benefits
Promotes Optimal Health
Betalains are the pigmants that give beets their deep colors: Betacyanin give red-violet beets their color, while betaxanthins give yellow-orange beets their bright colors. These betalains function both as anti-oxidants and anti-inflammatory molecules.
Beets have potential for anti-cancer benefits due to anti-oxidant and anti-inflammatory content. Beet fiber may be especially beneficial for colon cancer prevention.
Anti-Oxidant
However, it’s not the amount of anti-oxidants beets contain, but the type that is quite interesting. Along with betalains, manganese and vitamin C are also antioxidants, and together these properties allow beets to provide benefits for eye and nerve tissue health.
Anti-Inflammatory
The anti-inflammatory compounds in beets inhibit cyclo-oxygenase (COX) enzymes, which are used by cells to promote inflammation via molecule messaging. Acute inflammation is actually beneficial to the body, it’s how we heal from wounds, but chronic inflammation can lead to modern diseases like heart disease and type 2 diabetes.
Betaine is a phytonutrient that comes from choline, which is an important vitamin for reduces inflammation. Beets naturally contain betaine, which may prove to be even more beneficial at regulating inflammation as a diet containing betaine has been linked to reduced levels of certain inflammatory markers such as C-reactive protein, interleukin-6, and tumor necrosis factor alpha.
Detoxification
Betalains has been shown to trigger enzymes that play a role in the human body’s Phase 2 detoxification process, which occurs when cells use to hook toxins, neutralize, and then excrete them (1).
Increased Athletic Performance
Nitrates have been shown to:
· Increase vasodilation
· Increase glucose uptake
· Reduce blood pressure
· Reduce O2 cost of submaximal exercise
Beets contain natural nitrates, and an increase in plasma nitrates was seen with a dose of 0.5L of beetroot juice. Specifically, in one study, supplementing 0.5L of beetroot juice each day for 4-6 days:
· Reduced steady state cost of submaximal exercise by 5%
· Prolonged time to exhaustion during high-intensity cycling by 16%
This 16% increased duration has been established in other team sports as well! How cool is that?
Other natural sources of nitrates include spinach, lettuce, and celery (2).
Beets’ antioxidant content can also aid in muscle recovery as exercise is, while amazing for heath, an inflammatory process because of the demands placed on the body and break down of muscle fibers.
RECIPE
Serves 1
Ingredients
· 1 scoop vanilla protein powder
· ½ cup frozen, cubed beet root
· ½ cup spinach
· ½-1 frozen banana
· ½ cup strawberries
· 2 Tbs chia seeds
· 1 cup unsweetened almond milk (or any milk you prefer)
Instructions
1. Add ingredients to a blender.
2. Blend until smooth.
3. Feel your health and fitness increase.
4. Go out and get moving! (except maybe wait a little while for the smoothie to digest first!)
Works Cited
1. Beets. World’s Healthiest Foods. February 11-17, 2019. http://whfoods.org/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=49.
2. Mahan, Kathleen L., Raymond, Janice L. Nutrition in Exercise and Sports Performance. In: Krause’s Food & The Nutrition Care Process. 14th ed. St. Louis, MI. Elsevier Inc; 2017:448.
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