by Christine Pesta
While everyone knows that spinach, broccoli, and carrots are good for you, and we’ve all heard that, “an apple a day keeps the doctor away”, the beet remains largely unforgotten when it comes to healthy food. Some people may turn up their nose as they remember pushing it around their plate as a kid, or may know it’s good for them, but can’t seem to figure out how to work it into any meal they prepare.
Well, beets are one of the healthiest foods you can eat, and there are many ways to incorporate them into your diet. You can, of course eat them on their own as a side dish, but they can be placed in salads, casseroles, smoothies, and even baked in muffins. They are really much more versatile than you might think.
How are they beneficial health-wise? Below are some examples of the many ways one might benefit from this unassuming member of the plant world. Although it may not be a food that you have eaten on a regular basis before, once you see just how helpful they can be, this may very well be a food that you will decide deserves a more prominent place in your daily meal plan.
Beets Are Heart-Healthy
Beetroot can help prevent cardiovascular diseases by eliminating bad cholesterol from your arteries, lowering blood pressure, and even ease or curb angina pain or attacks. Vitamins and nutrients such as B9 and betaine contribute to the prevention of heart disease and heart attacks.
Beets Strengthen the Immune System and Nervous System
Among the many vitamins and minerals contained in beets are potassium and vitamin C. Potassium can strengthen both your muscles and your nervous system. The greens from beetroot can boost your white blood cell count and the antibodies in your system. Vitamin C will help to support your immune system, and beet juice in a morning smoothie may certainly be a refreshing alternative to orange juice to help encourage a healthy body.
They Can Help Prevent Birth Defects
Beets contain a high amount of B folate, which is an essential vitamin taken by pregnant woman to help prevent birth defects in their unborn children. B folate can assist in building a strong nervous system and in the formation of the spinal column.
Anti-Cancer Properties
One of the leading causes of death throughout the world is cancer. While there is no true cure yet, a sound, healthy diet that includes nutrient dense foods can help in the fight against this devastating disease. Beets are chock-full of antioxidants, as well as vitamins and minerals that can help protect cells. Betacyanin, for example, has been found to help defend against certain kinds of cancer, such as colon, lung, and skin cancers. They are also believed to be beneficial against breast and stomach cancer by helping to prevent the absorption of, or eliminate, carcinogens from the body.
They Can Be Key in Helping to Detoxify the Body
As mentioned earlier, beets and beet juice are full of antioxidants and can help strengthen the immune system. They are also a great source of fiber. With so many beneficial properties in beets, including phytonutrients such as betalains, they are an efficient way to help remove the toxins from your body. This includes the buildup of toxins in the liver. Consuming beet juice at least a couple of times a week can help to serve as a blood purifier, while removing free radicals. This will, over all, assist in ridding the body of deposits of unhealthy materials and boosting energy.
Beets Can Help the Brain
When it comes to stress, anxiety, and depression, a glass of beet juice can help calm the nerves. Having high levels of tryptophan, consuming beets can serve as a healthy, meat-free source to help to relax the body. Beets can also help to oxygenate the brain and help to prevent, or at least slow the onset of dementia. It’s ability to help blood flow to the brain means it can assist with maintaining cognitive function.
Beets, Overall Health, and Aging
Aside from the benefits listed above, beets can address many other chronic problems as well as those that gradually come to us with age. One of the first signs of aging is an increase in vision problems. Everything from weakening eyesight, to macular degeneration, to cataracts are experienced by many as they approach their senior years. With a high level of antioxidants and vitamin A, beets can help to combat damaging free radicals and stave off eye disease for longer than if beets were not consumed. They can also assist in the prevention, or at least slowing down, of things such as kidney and liver disease, diabetes, heart disease and strokes, high cholesterol, depression, dementia, chronic inflammation, and high blood pressure.
Whether you just eat them straight, add them to a salad or smoothie, or even make chips or hummus out of them for a go-to snack, incorporating this important superfood into your daily meals will certainly benefit you and your family for years to come.
Christine Pesta is a writer, and the owner and Executive Editor of Live Your Life Vegan. You can follow her here, on Live Your Life Vegan, where she contributes regularly, as well as on social media.
