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The humble beet, when steamed, boiled, roasted, pickled, borscht’d—but especially served raw—is nutritious and offers many healthbenefits.
Why Beets AreHealthy
If you’ve never considered beets for breakfast, snacks, or potluck food, these facts may spark your imagination:
- Research has demonstrated that eating beets, especially raw, or drinking beet juice can lower blood pressure, and improve both exercise performance and blood flow to the brain—probably because of the high concentration of nitrates inbeets.
Our bodies eventually convert nitrates to nitric oxide, a compound that relaxes and opens blood vessels.
- Research suggests that the red and yellow pigments found in beets (betalains) may help fight arthritis, several cancers, neurogenerative diseases, cardiovascular disease, and liver disease.
- Beet greens are also highly nutritious and also contain the carotenoid pigments beta-carotene, lutein, and zeaxanthin, important foreye health.
How to PrepareBeets
Cooking beets won’t give you the same health benefits because heat destroys betalain pigments and hampers nitrates, but it’s still good for yourhealth.
To preserve the maximum health benefits, grate raw beets into salads or steam/roast beets just long enough to tenderizethem.
Beet juice is also a fantastic way to get the healthbenefits.
Finally, beet greens are delicious raw in salads or lightlysteamed.
- Here’s a recipe for a delicious beet salad using both the root and thegreens.
GrowingBeets
If you have even a little space, beets are easy to grow, even in containers. They attract few pests or diseases, grow quickly, and come in many shades of red, pink, striped, andyellow.
See our Beets Growing Guide.
Note: The betalain pigments in raw or cooked red beets may cause the urine or stool to turn pink or even bright red for a day or two. The amount of excreted pigment depends on the pH of the stomach and how long the food remainedthere.
FAQs
Packed with nutrition, beets have antioxidants like betalains that fight cell damage and inflammation, potentially offering protection against cancer and heart disease. Health benefits of beets include more stamina during exercise, heart disease and stroke prevention, and lower blood pressure.
Is it okay to eat beets every day? ›
Can you eat beets everyday? It's always best to follow a varied diet. Eating a small amount of beetroot every day is unlikely to do any harm, but a high intake could lead to low blood pressure, red or black urine and feces, and digestive problems for anyone with a sensitivity to the nutrients.
What are the pros and cons of beets? ›
Beet is POSSIBLY SAFE for most people when taken by mouth in medicinal amounts. Beet can make urine or stools appear pink or red. But this is not harmful. There is concern that beets might cause low calcium levels and kidney damage.
Do beets cleanse your liver? ›
Beetroot. Chock-full of antioxidants and nitrates, beetroot has earned its stripes as a potent weapon for heart health, blood pressure, cognition, and inflammation. But when it comes to liver health, this resplendently red root also serves as a natural blood cleanser, purging your body of toxins and heavy metals.
What organ are beets good for? ›
They're knobby, blood-red and give off a rich, earthy aroma. But it's certainly worth the effort to get to know this nutritionally dense root vegetable. “Beets are unique for their cardiovascular and heart health benefits,” says registered dietitian Sarah Thomsen Ferreira, RD.
When should you not eat beets? ›
Anyone who has low blood pressure or is currently taking blood pressure medication should speak with a healthcare professional before adding beets or beetroot juice to their diet. Beets contain high levels of oxalates, which can cause kidney stones in people with a high risk of this condition.
Are beets high in sugar? ›
Moreover, beets are low in calories with zero cholesterol and a small amount of fat. However, the root is high in sugar and carbohydrates, so while you can consume the greens on top of the root in unlimited quantities, you should only have the root a few times a week. Beets are best from early spring to late fall.
What is the healthiest way to eat beets? ›
Retain the good-for-you nutrients in beets by roasting them or sautéing them instead. Or lightly steam them for just a few minutes, suggests Doyle.
Are beets healthier raw or cooked? ›
Cooking beets won't give you the same health benefits because heat destroys betalain pigments and hampers nitrates, but it's still good for your health. To preserve the maximum health benefits, grate raw beets into salads or steam/roast beets just long enough to tenderize them.
Why do I feel dizzy after drinking beet juice? ›
A doctor can advise on whether drinking beet juice alongside taking medications to lower blood pressure may lower a person's blood pressure too much. If this occurs, the individual may experience symptoms such as : dizziness or lightheadedness. blurry vision.
The urine color change may appear in the first few hours after drinking something containing beetroot. It may continue for a day or two after eating the coloring, especially in the stool.
What happens to your body when you eat beets everyday? ›
The nitrates in beets don't just reduce inflammation, they also improve heart health. Nitrates have been shown to reduce high blood pressure. Beets are also naturally low in cholesterol and fat, which makes them a good option for people concerned about heart disease or stroke.
Are canned beets healthy? ›
Unlike other vegetables that taste different than their fresh or frozen counterparts, canned beets retain a flavor that rivals fresh beets. They also maintain about the same nutritional value as fresh beetroots, giving you a good source of fibre, iron and folate.
How many beets do you have to eat to get benefits? ›
According to Dr. Melamed, the typical serving size recommendation is one cup of cooked beets per day. But that doesn't mean you actually have to eat them every day; it's always best, she adds, to rotate your healthy foods so you get a variety of vitamins, minerals, and nutrients.
Is it better to eat beets raw or cooked? ›
Raw or Cooked? Cooked. Low in calories and high in nutrients, cooked beets reduce the risk of heart disease and stroke. Benefits: Naturally occurring compounds in beets improve blood flow, help keep arteries healthy and reduce LDL cholesterol (the 'bad' kind).
Are beets good for the kidneys? ›
Is beet juice always bad for kidneys? Actually, it's not. Unless a person is at risk for kidney stones, beets may be key to reducing the risk of renal (kidney) failure during and after a heart x-ray. Coronary angiography is a specialized test allowing doctors to view the heart's blood vessels in action.
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