Red Beetroot – Health benefits for a stonger heart and a longer life

Common names of Red Beetroot
Beet (Afrikaans), 红菜头/ Hóng cài tóu (Chinese), Betterave (French), Pantzári (Greek), Rote beete (German), Raíz de remolacha (Spanish), चुकंदर/ Chukandar (Hindi).
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Brief history

The red beetroot (Beta vulgaris L.) belongs to the Beta L. genus, the Betoideae subfamily of the goosefoot family (Amaranthaceae or Chenopodiaceae). There are nine more species in the Beta genus, but Beta vulgaris is the most well-known and commercially important. Red beetroots is also commonly known as beet.

There are mainly four different cultivars of beet: the garden beet, whose root and leaves are eaten as a vegetable; the sugar beet of which sugar is produced; the mangel-wurzel, which is mostly used as feed for livestock because it can be easily stored; and the Swiss chard, which is mostly cultivated for its edible leaves.

The plants of the Beta genus are presumed to have originated in North Africa. Later they spread through the Mediterranean Sea route, to the seashores of Europe, Asia and America31.

Beets prefer temperate to cool regions thus, they are being cultivated in warm climates during the cooler seasons. Thus, they grow well in deep and loose soils, high in organic matter. Their growing season varies from 8 to 10 weeks for garden beets to 30 weeks for some mangel-wurzels.

 

Health benefits

 
 
Beetroot is a very rich source of many biologically active compounds and health promoting agents, such as:
 
  • Antioxidants (betalains, carotenoids, phenols)11, 25, 44
  • Inorganic nitrate, NO6
    Minerals [like manganese (good for bone health), magnesium, potassium, sodium, phosphorus, iron, zinc, copper, boron, silica, selenium11, 15-17, 24
  • Fibers
  • Folic acid = natural form of Vitamin B9
  • Sugars with low energy value37
  • Vitamins (A, B1 , B2 , B3 , B6 and B12, C, E, K)5, 6

Of course, as for every plant, the chemical composition differs depending on the red beetroot variety and the growth conditions (sunlight, water, soil, height etc.).

Lately scientists have focused a lot their research on the health benefits of beetroot as it seems to be a great natural way to treat and prevent several age related diseases6, 12.

The No1 vegetable for a healthy heart

 

Beetroot has been very well studied for its effect in hypertension15, 24, 28. In several human studies, beetroot was supplied either as a juice supplement2, 17, 40 or in bread14, 16 and it was shown to be very effective in reducing the high blood pressure.

This happens mainly due to the high inorganic nitrate content (250 mg∙kg−1 of fresh weight33) of beetroot. The nitrate (NO3) that we consume when eating red beets, is transformed to nitric oxide (NO), which acts as a messenger molecule and keeps our veins healthy and functional14,30.

The fact that beetroot contains a lot of phenolic and antioxidant compounds, makes it a great natural food that protects our body from oxidative stress. The antioxidant properties of red beets help also to decrease the oxidative damage of lipids and keep our “good cholesterol” (LDL) high.

Protects from cancer and chronic inflammation diseases

 

Apart from the antioxidants beetroot contains also some highly bioactive pigments known as betalains27, 39, which give this red-violet color to it32. These pigments have high antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties5, 6. Interestingly, a few studies have shown that beetroot juice has as good antioxidant effect as, or even better than a variety of fruit and vegetable juices6, 36, 44.

Thus, many scientists and doctors have tested beetroot as a potential treatment for several diseases related to oxidative stress and chronic inflammation that are damaging our body cells over time. Diseases such as liver disease, arthritis, obesity, heart disease as well as diabetes and cancer are some of them.

Today, there is good proof that beetroot has great anti-inflammatory function and is an excellent food to prevent cancer 5, 26,39, 43, liver disease32,39, and arthritis36. Although, there is not enough proof yet, betalains could also help people suffering from asthma and osteoporosis.

On the top of that, many studies have also shown that the nitrate, which is in high content in beetroot may also play an antioxidant role29, 41, 42. One of the most important roles of NO in our body, is to maintain the function of the endothelial cells (part of our blood and lymphatic veins)7, 14. Deficiency of NO, is the main cause of damage of our endothelium cells and consequently of hypertension and atherosclerosis19, 28. Therefore, consuming beetroot is a natural way to preserve or restore the function of your veins and protect your heart.

Improves brain function and prevents age related diseases

Our brain and our cognitive function deteriorate as we get older and scientists have found that one of the key reasons is reduced cerebral blood flow3, 4, 38. This may lead to several neurological disorders associated with poor cognitive ability, such as brain damage, clinical dementia and Alzheimer’s disease8, 35.

Researchers have also found that the reduction of cerebral blood flow, happens partially due to low NO activity8, 35. If our body is not able to generate enough NO, normal functions of our brain like glucose delivery and the neuronal activity (i.e., cellular communication) can be impaired. If this happens for long time, it may cause neurodegeneration and cognitive deficits4, 8, 38.

Consequently, adding a NO generator, like beetroot, in our daily diet can help us protect our brain. Beets can improve the blood flow of our brain and help us prevent age related diseases like dementia and Alzheimer’s.

Other potential, but understudied health effects

 

Although there are not a lot of scientific data, beetroot seems to have also the following promising effects:

Carminative, helps to reduce gas in the stomach and relieve pain and flatulence.

Emmenagogue, helps to stimulate or increase menstrual flow.

Hemostatic, helps to stop bleeding. Thus, it’s a great food for people suffering from diabetes but they should also consume it in moderation as it also contains a lot of natural sugars.

Protects the kidneys13: Studies in animal models have shown that beetroot intake can significantly reduce the levels of urea and creatinine.

Improves physical performance of patients with lung disease (COPD). There is one study that showed this and they only tested beet root in 15 participants. In another study, the beetroot intake only reduced the blood pressure of people with COPD, but it not improve their physical performance.

Take home message

Beetroot has many health benefits and is an essential vegetable to include in your diet in order to maintain a strong brain and a healthy heart. It can also help you prevent age related diseases such as heart and liver disease, cancer, arthritis, osteoporosis, Alzheimer’s and dementia. 

These are the main beetroot health benefits:

  • improves your blood flow
  • maintains the good function of your veins
  • keeps your good cholesterol high
  • lowers your high blood pressure
  • reduces inflammation and oxidative stress

Important Note

Unfortunately, there is not yet enough scientific proof about the amount of beetroot that we should include in our diet. Although different beetroot supplements, like juices and capsules, already exist in the market, their long term effect (> 4 weeks) on health is not scientifically evaluated yet. The main reason is that there is no sufficient evidence of the side effects of excessive NO in the body18, 29.

The good news is that even with low amounts or with beetroot juice we can benefit from it.

Consumers should also be aware that some commercial supplements (i.e., juices) could also contain high sugar, which should be avoided in order to prevent diabetes.

Thus, the safest way to include beetroot in your diet is by natural sources (see recipes below) and always keeping in mind moderation.

Tips and tricks

 
  • Drink beetroot juice before and after exercising.
    Before exercising to protect your brain and after exercising, to protect your body from oxidative stress and cell damage as well as from muscle pain6.
  • The most effective way to consume beetroot seems to be beetroot juice. However, if you do not like the taste, but you want to consume it daily, try one of the following recipes.
  • If you are obese or suffering from a chronic inflammatory disease like diabetes, arthritis, liver disease, inflammatory bowel disease etc, add a daily source of beetroot in your diet in order to protect your heart and prevent cancer.
  • You can also eat the leaves of beetroot. They contain more carotenoids (antioxidants) compared to tubers. This is because carotenoids accumulate in the chloroplasts of the green part of plants.
  • The leaves of beetroot are also an excellent source of vitamin A, K and C.
    Add a bit of fresh beetroot or beetroot powder in order to improve the red color of different foods such as tomato paste, sauces, soups, desserts, jams, jellies, ice creams, sweets and breakfast cereals, if needed.
  • If you are suffering from gas in the stomach, beetroot has a great carminative effect.

Fun (historical) facts

 
  • Today, beetroot is grown in many countries worldwide, is regularly consumed as part of the normal diet, and commonly used in manufacturing as a food coloring agent known as E1621145.
  • About 30% of the world’s sugar production comes from sugar beets (not the red ones)5.
  • Because of its potential anti carcinogenic effects and as a natural pigment red beetroot is used worldwide as a colorant in cosmetics and drugs.
  • Interestingly, when it is used in combination with anticancer drugs such as doxorubicin (Adriamycin), it has the potential to act synergistically and moderate the drug toxicity1, 20, 23.

Recipes

 

Here are some ways to add beetroot in your diet:

  1. Pink salad with yoghurt
  2. Beetroot jam
  3. Beetroot juice
  4. Beetroot bread
  5. Boiled beetroots with potatoes
  6. Add boiled beetroots to your green leafy salads together with balsamic or red vinegar and some Kalamata olives 
  7. Beetroot powder. You can either make your own or buy some.

References

 
 
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  2. Bailey SJ, Winyard P, Vanhatalo A, Blackwell JR, Dimenna FJ, Wilkerson DP, Tarr J, Benjamin N, Jones AM, Dietary nitrate supplementation reduces the O2 cost of low-intensity exercise and enhances tolerance to high-intensity exercise in humans, J. Appl. Physiol., 2009; 107, 1144–1155.
  3. Bond VJr, Curry BH, Adams RG, Asadi MS, Millis RM, Haddad GE, Effects of dietary nitrates on systemic and cerebrovascular hemodynamics, Cardiol. Res. Pract., 2013; 435–629.
  4. Bondonno CP, Downey LA, Croft KD, Scholey A, Stough C, Yang X, Considine MJ, Ward NC, Puddey IB, Swinny E et al. The acute effect of flavonoid-rich apples and nitrate-rich spinach on cognitive performance and mood in healthy men and women, Food Funct, 2014; 5, 849–858.
  5. Ceclu L, Oana-Viorela N, Red Beetroot: Composition and Health Effects – A Review. J Nutri Med Diet Care, 2020;6:043.
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  2. Bailey SJ, Winyard P, Vanhatalo A, Blackwell JR, Dimenna FJ, Wilkerson DP, Tarr J, Benjamin N, Jones AM, Dietary nitrate supplementation reduces the O2 cost of low-intensity exercise and enhances tolerance to high-intensity exercise in humans, J. Appl. Physiol., 2009; 107, 1144–1155.
  3. Bond VJr, Curry BH, Adams RG, Asadi MS, Millis RM, Haddad GE, Effects of dietary nitrates on systemic and cerebrovascular hemodynamics, Cardiol. Res. Pract., 2013; 435–629.
  4. Bondonno CP, Downey LA, Croft KD, Scholey A, Stough C, Yang X, Considine MJ, Ward NC, Puddey IB, Swinny E et al. The acute effect of flavonoid-rich apples and nitrate-rich spinach on cognitive performance and mood in healthy men and women, Food Funct, 2014; 5, 849–858.
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