Those red things often used as garnish have incredible health benefits.

Beetroot is a dark red vegetable that grows underground. The leaves are above the surface and have plenty of nutritional value. But beet careful, this food when consumed in excess can lead to some serious detoxification effects, similar to the flu. Trust me, I know first-hand.

Contents of beetroot: According the USDA, beetroot is an excellent source of fiber, folate, magnesium, potassium, iron, and zinc. The beet greens are very high in vitamin K.

Health benefits of Beetroots

1. Reduces blood pressure because they contain nitrates that are vasodilators. (1)
2. Reduces homocysteine as beetroots are high in betaine, converting homocysteine to methionine. High homocysteine is a risk factor for just about everything.(2)
3. Improves endothelial function (3). This leads to healthier blood vessels.
4. Improves athletic performance (4) by boosting your stamina.
5. Improves blood sugar control. (5)
6. Improves peripheral artery circulation. (6)
7. Tremendous antioxidant (7) that limits free radical damage in the body.
8. Inhibits platelet function therefore is a natural blood thinner. (8)

There are many ways to consume beets, but the best way is raw. They can be shredded into salad or consumed in smaller pieces.

Juicing beets is another way to boost nitric oxide. Fermented beets are another tasty treat. Cooking may change some of the nutrient composition. Steaming would be the way to cook. If you boil, also drink the leftover water.

Some of the studies showing these incredible benefits were done using beetroot powder. Your beetroot powder should be organic or at least GMO free. Beetroot powder goes really well with your morning smoothie or greens drink. Start off at 500mg, 2x per day and increase as tolerated. We carry a beetroot powder in our office. Call us at (480) 535-6844 for more information and to order it. We can ship anywhere in the U.S. or Canada.

You can find some wonderful Paleo beet recipes on Pinterest.

Beets will turn your urine red as well as your stool (and clothes), so be ready. Many have thought they were bleeding but it turned out it was from the beets color. Once again, beets are very detoxifying, so be cautious and start slow.

1)  J Nutr. 2013 Jun;143(6):818-26.

2) My clinical experience. No data found.

3) Atherosclerosis. 2013 Nov;231(1):78-83.

4) Med Sci Sports Exerc. 2014 Jan;46(1):143-50.

5) Free Radic Biol Med. 2013 Jul;60:89-97

6) J Appl Physiol  2011 Jun;110(6):1582-91

7) Plant Foods Hum Nutr. 2010 Jun;65(2):105-11

8) Hypertension. 2008;51(3):784–790.