Just Beet It, We’ve Got the Beet, How to be un-BEET-able. All titles of recent YouTube videos, all about BEETS!
Beets are climbing the super-food charts, and it’s not just because of their ability to make a catchy headline. Beets offer an astounding number of benefits from wrinkle prevention to lowering blood pressure.
Energy Boost without the Crash
Beets became popular around the world in the 19th century when it was discovered they could be converted into sugar. In fact beets contain more sugar than any other vegetable. But before you dismiss the sweet veggie for it’s carb content, you should know that the sugars in beets are released into the body very slowly over time, stabilizing your blood sugar, and giving you a steady flow of energy. They are very different than processed carbohydrates which may give you a jolt of energy, leave you with a crash, and offer little to no nutritional value.
Passionate Powers
One of the earliest known benefits of the beet is its use as an aphrodisiac. Beets contain high amounts of boron, which is directly related to the production of human sex hormones.
Perhaps this is why some cultures believe if a man and woman eat from the same beet, they will fall in love.
Which brings us to the next beet benefit….
Prenatal Health
Beets are high in folic acid, a vitamin known to be crucial to the development of a baby’s spinal cord. Studies have shown intake of folic acid during utero has resulted in decreased birth defects. Expecting mothers can get 75% of the recommended daily allowance of folic acid from just three raw baby beets a day. Pregnant or not, folic acid also helps preserve skin pigmentation.
Your Bodies Best Friend
Lowers Blood Pressure: A recent study at London’s Queen Mary University found that drinking one glass of beet juice a day was more effective at lowering high blood pressure than some medications. The naturally occurring nitrates in the beet are credited for the finding, with their ability to widen blood vessels and allow more oxygen-rich blood to travel to the heart.
Lowers Cholesterol: Beets are also rich in antioxidants, which we know help prevent age-related disease. In the beet’s case, the particular antioxidant betanin, which also gives the beet its vibrant color, helps raise “good” cholesterol and prevent “bad” cholesterol from being deposited into arteries.
Digestive Cleansing: The antioxidants in beets also help to remove toxins from the digestive system. They cleanse the blood and colon, and can also help break down stones in the bladder, kidneys, and liver.
Cancer-Fighting Properties: Dr. Alexander Ferenczi, founder of The Ferenczi’s Effect, discovered the beet’s cancer-fighting properties when he treated patients who had stage-4 cancer with a form of “beet therapy.” Each of his patients, with varying types of cancer, showed progress. This is said to be due to several of the beet’s components, but especially due to the flavonoid betazyane which oxygenates cells while maintaining levels of vitamin C. Now the use of beets as a supplemental treatment for cancer is being used all over the world.
Good Mood Food
And if after reading this article you are feeling blue about not consuming more beets in the past, no need to worry. Beets can cheer you up! Beets contain betaine, a substance that relaxes the mind and is used in other forms to treat depression. And like chocolate, beets also contain tryptophan which contributes to a sense of well-being.
Whether you boil them, juice them, roast them, or eat them raw, consume beets daily and your body with thank you for years to come.
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