5 reasons why you should eat beetroot
I must say growing up beetroot was not one of my preferred vegetables. In fact, I would immediately eliminate it from any salad so that its forceful colour wouldn’t mess with the rest of my greens!
Truth be told, I grew to love beetroot. I would bite into a raw beetroot or add to a fresh juice any day! We’ve seen this special potent root gaining popularity as more discover vegetarianism and veganism. But what’s so special about this little bundle of joy?
1.Beetroots are low in calories
Beetroot is very low in Saturated Fat and Cholesterol whilst high in many vitamins and minerals. It is a good source of Dietary Fibre, Vitamin C, Magnesium and Potassium, and a very good source of Folate and Manganese (1).
2.Beetroots may improve physical endurance
Beetroots provide a high source of nitrate, which when consumed is converted into nitric oxide. Research shows nitric oxide can increase blood flow, improve lung function, and strengthen muscle contraction. If you’re an athlete or a gym-buff you may want to read more on this here.
3.Helps to keep blood pressure down
According to WebMD, drinking a glass of beet juice may have an immediate impact on lowering blood pressure. A study suggests that within hours of drinking beetroot juice, systolic blood pressure (the top number in your BP reading) lowered by an average of 4-5 points amongst a small group of healthy men. Whilst this seems small, researchers highlight that on a public health level, a reduction like this would equate to a 10% reduction in deaths caused by heart disease! So if you went a little bit overboard this summer, start juicing!
4.Beetroots are packed with anti-oxidants
Beetroots are a good source of anti-oxidants that help the body fight against potential disease and inflammation. They also help to protect skin cells against damage. You can describe them as ‘free radical scavengers’ removing free radicals in the body that could later cause damage. So if you’ve spent too much time in the sun, start juicing! Read about antioxidants in this article.
5.Delicious and easy to add to your diet
So, later I found out, that they are actually delicious and I just never liked them boiled! The best part of this red-purple beet is that its so versatile. Beetroots can be eaten raw, boiled, steamed… Juice it, cook it, smoke it… You can eat it as you please.
Is cooked better than raw beetroot? I would say keep it raw! Others would cook it. Cooking beets decreases the bioavailability of dietary nitrate from the food, meaning that raw beets deliver more dietary nitrate.
How do you like your beets?
Here are some of our favourite beetroot recipes by our own chefs.
Turmeric Falafel & Beetroot Crisp by Sam Farrugia
Smoked Beetroot Salad by Ljuana Xuereb
Beetroot Gravalax by Eunice Muscat
