Lately, everywhere I look, I'm seeing beetroot. It's making its way into the risottos at my favourite Italian restaurants, it's stolen into my breads, health-conscious friends are feverishly Googling recipes, beauty enthusiasts are raving about how beetroot is working wonders on the skin, and foodie friends are calling it the new kale, or avocado, depending on which food craze you bought into more. I'm not complaining, though. And neither is my mom, whose lifelong goal to get all her kids to down a glass of beetroot juice every morning - looks like it might finally come to fruition. So why have the beets suddenly amassed such a dedicated fan following?
Thought of as one of the most healthy and nutritional vegetables, the beetroot is the taproot portion of the beet plant. Its deep red colour has made it a popular ingredient in foods all over the world. Apart from being used in all sorts of different food for flavour and colour, though, beetroot has also been used for its medicinal properties for centuries.
Beets are not only full of essential nutrients like vitamins B and C, iron, manganese, copper, magnesium, fibre and potassium, they are also abundant in health-boosting nutrients that one may not get from anywhere else. Here are some great things that happen to your body when you eat beets.
1. Your haemoglobin levels get a boost
A low haemoglobin level can cause anemia - Indian women are particularly prone to this. For your body to function properly, it is necessary that your haemoglobin level stays at its optimum level. Beetroot, as a result of being a good source of folate, also known as folic acid or vitamin B9, and a good source of iron, helps boost the production of haemoglobin. Patients with anemia are often asked to include beetroot in their diet.
2. You'll see a reduction in pigmentation and blemishes
The abundance of Vitamin C in beetroot makes it a very effective agent in reducing pigmentation and blemishes. Beetroot juice is a great for those with any kind of skin discolouration and pigmentation. Have a glass daily to see best and sustained results.
3. It can improve your heart and liver health
Beets are rich in a plant alkaloid called betaine. According to research, dietary betaine improves liver function and leads to better diabetes control. It also stimulates the regeneration of liver cells and can help reduce the accumulation of fat in the liver.
4. It helps rid your body of toxins
Because beets play an important role in improved liver health, they automatically act as a great tool for detoxification of your body. When your liver is able to detoxify chemicals and toxins more effectively, your body is better able to balance hormones, cholesterol and energy levels. Beetroot juice contains betalains, a group of phytonutrients, that help your body throw out the toxins more effectively.
5. You will see a reduction in any inflammation
Beets contain a high proportion of phytonutrients that act as anti-inflammatory agents. This can prevent many diseases and help your body stay on track.
Compounds with the strongest anti-inflammatory potential include betanin, isobetanin, and vulgaxanthin. These are all betalains - red and yellow pigments that give beets their distinct color. Betaine, which beets are also rich in, play an important role in regulating inflammation. Beets and beetroot juice can not only reduce inflammation but may also protect against cancer and heart disease, thanks to all the nutrients present in them.
Remember to eat your beets, folks. And yes, thanks mom.
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