Available throughout the entire year, beetroot is one of the healthiest veggies you can consume and improve your overall health.

It is a rich source of essential nutrients, vitamin A, B vitamins, vitamin C, copper, zinc, selenium, phosphorus, iron, potassium, manganese, fiber, magnesium, and calcium, as well as powerful antioxidants like carotenoids, betalain, flavonoids, phenolic acids, and anthocyanin.

Take a look at its impressive nutritional profile:

A cup of raw beets (about 136 grams) contains approximately:

• 58.5 calories
• 13 grams carbohydrates
• 3.8 grams dietary fiber
• 2.2 grams protein
• 0.2 gram fat
• 148 micrograms folate (37 percent DV)
• 0.4 milligram manganese (22 percent DV)
• 442 milligrams potassium (13 percent DV)
• 6.7 milligrams vitamin C (11 percent DV)
• 31.3 milligrams magnesium (8 percent DV)
• 1.1 milligrams iron (6 percent DV)
• 54.4 milligrams phosphorus (5 percent DV)
• 0.1 milligram copper (5 percent DV)
• 0.1 milligram vitamin B6 (5 percent DV),

As well as thiamine, riboflavin, and zinc.

It is best to consume it raw, as the cooking process can destroy some of its nutrients.  If you consume beetroot on a daily basis, you will experience the following health benefits:

It improves liver health

Betalains – a kind of phytonutrients in beets has powerful anti-inflammatory, antioxidant and detoxification properties, and cleanses the liver of toxins.  Compounds like glycine and methionine, in a combination with it, prevent the accumulation of fatty acids in the liver and boost liver health.

It lowers blood pressure

Beetroot juice lowers both, your diastolic and systolic blood pressure. The nitrates in this veggie dilate and relax the blood vessels, boost blood flow, and lower blood pressure.

It prevents cancerous tumor formation or reduces cancerous cell proliferation

The betanin in beets prevents the formation of cancerous tumors and reduces cancerous cell proliferation. It prevents prostate, skin, lung and breast cancer, and the beetroot juice, if consumed in a combination with carrot extract, helps in the treatment of leukemia.

It boosts respiratory health

The vitamin C in beets strengthens the immune system, ensures the healthy function of white blood cells that protect against foreign bodies, and enhances respiratory health.

It improves mood and mental health

Beetroot is high in tryptophan, an amino acid that relaxes the body. Betaine supports the metabolism of the body chemical SAM-e, that is a natural anti-depressant. This veggie prevents dementia, improves the cognitive function, and improves the blood flow to your brain.

It relieves constipation

Beetroot is rich in dietary fiber that stimulates the nerves in the intestines and helps digestion. The high dietary fiber content relieves constipation and treats digestive issues.

It soothes menstrual pain and menopause symptoms

The phytochemicals in beetroot balance hormones and stimulate the production of estrogen, and the high iron content prevents iron deficiency, treats fatigue, and reduces irritability. 

It boosts muscle strength, endurance, and stamina

Beets are rich in magnesium, iron, and nitrites, so they improve muscle strength and endurance. Moreover, when converted into nitric oxide, nitrites reduce oxygen cost of low-intensity exercise and boost the stamina for high-intensity exercise.

It prevents oxidative stress-induced changes, lowers glucose levels, and improves insulin sensitivity

Beets contain an antioxidant known as alpha-lipoic acid which inhibits oxidative stress-induced changes, reduce glucose levels, and elevate insulin sensitivity.

It may help dilate and relax your blood vessels

Beetroot contains a naturally-occurring salt called nitrate, which gets turned into nitric oxide in the body, and thus dilates and relaxes the blood vessels, boosting the blood flow. Moreover, betaine, which is an amino acid in beets, prevents the accumulation of homocysteine in the blood, and thus ensures a healthy circulation.

It improves your skin health

This vegetable is high in folate, which is a crucial B vitamin for the skin. It stimulates re-pigmentation of white skin patches of vitiligo and prevents skin cancer. Also, the high vitamin C content evens out the skin tone and clears blemishes. 

Furthermore, Dr. Mercola reminds us that:

“Beyond just the beetroots, beet greens offer a plethora of vitamins and minerals, too. They’re a great source of fiber — 17 percent of your daily requirements in just one cup — and also vitamin B6, magnesium, potassium, copper, manganese, and antioxidants.

The incredible amount of vitamin K in beet greens contains blood-clotting properties, fights aging, supports your DNA, helps ward off osteoporosis, works with calcium to boost bone strength, and may also play a role in fighting Alzheimer’s disease.

Beet greens contain more iron than spinach and a higher nutritional value than the vegetable itself. Besides using young beet greens in salads or sautéing with olive oil, juicing beet greens is another excellent way to obtain all these nutrients.”

Source: globalhealthcorner.com