If you read the label on a bottle of beetroot capsules, you may be able to improve your athletic performance, blood pressure, and digestive and immune system function. But can a few grams of pink powder do that?
The answer is a resounding, “Um…maybe.”
If you really want to get the full health benefits of beets, “don’t waste your money on supplements or special juices. Just eat beets,” says Roberts, a clinical professor of nutrition at the University of Missouri-Kansas City School of Pharmacy. says supplement expert Dr. Sidney McQueen.
Here’s what the research says about this highly nutritious root vegetable.
Beets are rich in antioxidants.
Antioxidants neutralize free radicals. Both are molecules that circulate throughout the body. Think of antioxidants as good and free radicals as bad.
Free radicals are produced by certain bodily functions, such as metabolism, but also by exposure to harmful things around us, such as cigarette smoke, pollution, and radiation. They attach themselves to healthy cells and damage them through a process called oxidative stress. Over time, this accumulated stress causes signs of aging and increases the risk of many chronic diseases associated with aging, such as cancer, heart disease, and Alzheimer’s disease.
Antioxidants found in healthy foods, especially bright red, orange, purple, and blue foods, prevent free radicals from getting trapped and wreaking havoc on healthy cells. But beets are more than just your run-of-the-mill red or purple food. Research shows that whole beets, as opposed to juice or powdered capsules, are twice as effective at neutralizing free radicals as other red, orange, purple, and blue produce. In fact, they rank among the top 10 most powerful antioxidant vegetables.
Antioxidants have an impact on the prevention of all types of chronic age-related diseases. These benefits can be obtained from fresh, dried, or pureed beets.
Beets get their magenta color and much of their antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties from natural pigments called betalains. Therefore, much research has been conducted on its potential for cancer prevention. Beets have been shown to have some anti-cancer activity against cancerous laboratory rats and human cancer cells in petri dishes. While it’s certainly promising, these results won’t lead to human clinical trials that could prove that beets or chemicals extracted from beets could potentially prevent or treat cancer. A long journey is required.
But that’s exactly why you should eat a diet rich in a variety of fruits and vegetables, McQueen says. “If you extract the components of almost any fruit or vegetable and put them in a test tube, they will have some degree of anti-cancer activity,” she explains. “People who eat well and consume a diet high in fruits and vegetables or plant-based foods tend to have a lower risk of cancer.”
Beets are also high in nitrates, which convert to nitric oxide in the body. This gas relaxes blood vessels, improving blood flow and blood pressure.
A small study of 6 to 12 adults showed that drinking beet juice lowers heart rate and blood pressure within 1 to 6 hours after consumption. One study found that only men benefited from this. Another study of 85 adults found that beet juice had a small effect on blood pressure, only in people under 65.
In a study of 16 healthy adults published in the Journal of Nutritional Science, those who drank beet juice with meals had better postprandial blood sugar regulation than those who did not. Although this study involved a very small number of people, it has implications for the role of beets in diabetes prevention.
In lab experiments, beet juice helped lower cholesterol in rats, but there is no data on whether humans can get the same effect.
Beets have received a lot of attention for their possible role in athletic performance because they may improve blood flow. There is no shortage of publications detailing experiments in which exercise physiologists have tested the effects of beet juice on cardiovascular endurance, exercise tolerance, and post-exercise muscle soreness.
A small study of 10 obese teenagers published in the American Journal of Physiology found that consuming 70 ml of beet juice daily for six days improved exercise tolerance, or decreased breathlessness. I’ve noticed an improvement in how much I can exercise before I get too tired and can’t continue.
This was one of the few studies conducted on people with low to average fitness levels. Most of the research on the benefits of beets on physical performance has been done on elite athletes.
A study of top-ranked male and female kayakers in the country found that consuming beet juice slightly increased speed in short distance races. Overall, the benefits of this vegetable are limited to aerobic exercise, and the effect is so small that it seems like it could only make a difference for world-class athletes, not weekend warriors.
“If you’re an Olympic-level athlete and a subtle difference can mean the difference between silver and gold, give it a try,” McQueen says.
Improving blood flow also benefits the brain, so researchers investigated the effects of beets on thinking ability.
A study of 44 adults published in the European Journal of Nutrition found that chewable beetroot supplements improved memory consolidation, the brain’s ability to convert new information into long-term memory.
A 2021 research review published in the journal Food Science and Nutrition found that beets increased levels of nitric oxide, which is associated with cognitive performance, but increased levels of this important gas may not improve thinking skills. It turned out that it doesn’t connect.
As it turns out, there’s not a lot of evidence to support the benefits of popping a pill with pink power beet in it, but it probably won’t hurt to try it.
“Fortunately, it’s safe to try, except for people who are at risk for kidney stones, but it’s best taken in the form of healthy, whole foods because they provide all the fiber and other nutrients.” It’s still the best way” and the good things that come with it. ”
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