Beta Vulgaris
Highly cleansing
Beetroot is a root vegetable that has an excellent cleansing qualities and nutrient profile that can benefit the heart, liver and blood. Traditionally beets have been used as blood tonic. Beets have been used since ancient times by Romans and Greeks as food and medicine, to improve general physical health.
This humble root offers an incredible amount of antioxidants and minerals for our body. Beetroot is hard to eat raw on its own, but when you make it into a fresh juice, its quite easy to take in large amount, especially if you couple it with other vegetables or fruits like carrots and apples.
Nitrate lowers blood pressure
The nitrate in beetroot is quite different from the nitrate found in aged or smoked meat like bacon, salami & sausage. These are synthetic forms of nitrate which is used to preserve the meat to prolong their shelf life and to maintain the color of the meat.
Synthetic nitrate can cause a deep damage to our health, increasing the risk of cancer. But natural nitrate like in beets is beneficial to our health. Our body is able to convert the natural nitrate in beets into nitric acid which helps to lower the blood pressure by dilating the blood vessel.
Betaine protect blood vessel
Beets contain betaine, a nutrient that is able to fight cardiovascular disease. Betaine is an amino acid that is needed to maintain heart health in numerous ways. It is this betaine that gives beetroot its deep gorgeous red color.
Betaine plays a key role as an antioxidant nutrient at cellular level. Antioxidant is very important to prevent damages to the blood vessel wall. Such damages can eventually lead to cholesterol buildup around the wall of a blood vessel.
Anytime when there is a damage on the blood vessels wall, our body uses cholesterol to patch the wound on the wall. If too much patch work occurs, this will cause narrowing of the blood vessel leading to high blood pressure and eventually stroke & heart attack.
Potassium balances water level
Beetroot contains potassium which is necessary for heart health. Potassium balances water level in the blood and therefore controlling the blood pressure. The natural nitrate found in beetroot can help to lower blood pressure.
Folic acid (B9)
Folic acid is also known as vitamin B9, which is very crucial especially for pregnant women as this nutrient assist in the mental development of fetus. Folic acid is also very important for adults as they play a key role in preventing anemia.
Anemia is a condition of not having enough red blood cell in the body to carry oxygen. Folic acid assist the body to produce new red blood cell and with this, a proper oxygen supply will be given to all cells in the body including for the cells in the heart muscle.
Even though the heart pumps oxygenated blood to all parts of the body, this same oxygenated blood is needed for the heart itself to function well. With anemic condition, the heart can become weak.
Best way to consume beetroot
Beets can be lightly steamed, baked, made into pickle or drink as a raw juice. Beets should never be cooked at high heat as this will cause loss of nutrients. Fermenting or pickling beets is a great technique to retain all its nutrients.
Making a beetroot juice is another excellent way to get all the benefit of the beets. Beetroot juice combine very well with carrots, apples & lemon juice. This combination not only adds more taste and aroma to the beetroot juice, but also function as an amazing cleansing liquid to the body.