Known for its aroma and earthy flavor, Beetroot or Chukandar is a versatile and vibrant vegetable. It is high in nutrition value which means it not only brings a pop of color to your plate but also nourishes your body with minerals, vitamins and plant compounds, most of which have medicinal properties.
The best part about consuming beetroot is that they taste delicious and are extremely easy to add to your diet. You can add them in dishes like beetroot salads, beetroot kebabs, beetroot juice, beetroot milkshake, etc. Beetroot has various health benefits and most of these benefits are due to the presence of inorganic nitrates in high amounts.
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Some people prefer to eat them raw, while others prefer to cook them before consuming. No matter which one you prefer, it will benefit your body.
Having said that, let’s see what are some of its benefits.
1. Less Calories and High Nutrition
Beetroot have an impressive nutrition profile and the best part is that they give you all the nutrition without any extra calories. In fact, they have all the vitamins and minerals that your body needs.
Some of the nutrients present in beetroot are fat, protein, iron, copper, and potassium, etc. It is also rich in folate which plays a key role in heart health.
Along with this, beetroot is also rich in manganese which is essential in nutrient metabolism, brain function, brain formation, etc.
2. Helps Fight Inflammation
Beetroot contains pigments known as betalins which have anti-inflammatory properties. Since they have anti-inflammatory properties, they are extremely important for your health as chronic inflammation is associated with obesity, cancer, liver disease and heart disease.
3. Keep Blood Pressure in Check
Among all other beetroot benefits, one of the most significant advantages of consuming beetroot is that it decreases elevated blood pressure levels which pose a huge risk to heart diseases.
Consuming beetroot juice improves levels of systolic as well as diastolic blood pressure.
The blood-pressure-lowering effects are due to the presence of nitrates in the vegetable. Your body converts these dietary nitrates into nitric oxide which dilates blood vessels and results in lower blood pressure.
4. Better Athletic Performance
All thanks to the dietary nitrates, beetroot improves your athletic performance. The nitrates present in the vegetables improve the efficiency of mitochondria which is responsible for producing energy cells.
Consuming beetroot increases endurance. It also improves efficiency and cardiorespiratory performance.
If you are someone who likes to stay fit physically, you can buy gym equipment online from OLX Pakistan’s website.
5. Improved Digestive Health
Beetroot is a great source of fiber which plays a vital role in food digestion. It not only promotes regular digestion but also prevents conditions like constipation, diverticulitis and inflammatory bowel disease.
Along with this, fiber has also been linked with reduced risk of diseases like type 2 diabetes, heart diseases and colon cancer.
6. Skin Benefits
According to the Ohio State University, beetroot is rich in minerals like iron as well as vitamins, including vitamin C. These minerals and vitamins provide various beetroot benefits to skin and some of them include anti-aging, anti-inflammation, skin brightening, etc.
7. Use of Beetroot in Pregnancy
Beetroot is also extremely beneficial for pregnant women. It is a good source of folate or folic acid which helps in preventing certain development issues at birth.
Consuming beetroot may also help you prevent certain infections; however, it is suggested you ask your doctor before consuming it.
8. Maintains Potassium Levels in Your Body
Potassium deficiency can cause fatigue, digestive issues and weakness. Taking beetroot regularly helps you stay away from all of these problems as it consists of potassium.
While there are many advantages of beetroot, there may be a few side effects as well.
Beetroot Side Effects
Following are its side effects:
Kidney Stones
Beetroot is a vegetable that is usually well tolerated except for people who are prone to kidney stones.
Oxalates
Beet greens contain oxalates which can promote kidney stone formation. Oxalates also have anti-nutrient properties which can interfere with the absorption of micronutrients.
Levels of oxalates are much higher in leaves as compared to roots.
Fermentable Oligosaccharides, Disaccharides, Monosaccharides and polyols (FODMAPs)
Beetroot consists of FODMAPs in the form of fructans. These are short chain carbs which feed your gut bacteria. Along with this, FODMAPs can also cause a digestive upset in sensitive people.
We hope the information given in this blog was helpful. If you want to buy any fruits or vegetables online, you can have a look at OLX Pakistan’s website.
Do let us know if you know of any other beetroot benefits.
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