What are the benefits for eating beetroot.

What are the benefits for eating beetroot

Many Nutrients in Few Calories.

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Beets boast an impressive nutritional profile.

They are low in calories, yet high in valuable vitamins and minerals. In fact, they contain a bit of almost all the vitamins and minerals that you need.

Beets also contain inorganic nitrates and pigments, both of which are plant compounds that have a number of health benefits.

Help Keep Blood Pressure in Check.

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Heart disease, including heart attacks, heart failure and stroke, is one of the leading causes of death worldwide.

And high blood pressure is one of the leading risk factors for the development of these conditions.

These blood pressure-lowering effects are likely due to the high concentration of nitrates in beets. In your body, dietary nitrates are converted into nitric oxide, a molecule that dilates blood vessels, causing blood pressure to drop.

Blood nitrate levels remain elevated for about six hours after eating dietary nitrate. Therefore, beets only have a temporary effect on blood pressure, and regular consumption is required to experience long-term reductions in blood pressure.

Can Improve Athletic Performance.

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Several studies suggest that dietary nitrates may enhance athletic performance.

For this reason, beets are often used by athletes.

Nitrates appear to affect physical performance by improving the efficiency of mitochondria, which are responsible for producing energy in your cells.

May Help Fight Inflammation.

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Chronic inflammation is associated with a number of diseases, such as obesity, heart disease, liver disease and cancer.

Beets contain pigments called betalains, which may potentially possess a number of anti-inflammatory properties (8Trusted Source, 20Trusted Source,

However, most of the research in this area has been conducted in rats.

Beetroot juice and beetroot extract have been shown to reduce kidney inflammation in rats injected with toxic chemicals known to induce serious injury.

One study in humans with osteoarthritis showed that betalain capsules made with beetroot extract reduced pain and discomfort associated with the condition.

While these studies suggest that beets have an anti-inflammatory effect, human studies are needed to determine whether beets could be used to reduce inflammation.