Organic Traditions Beetroot Powder (Organic) - 454g

BEETS

Beets provide nutrition for healing, fibre for digestion and nitric oxide for improved athletic performance and cardiovascular health...

The doctors of Ancient Greece realized the medicinal value of beets. Beet juice was traditionally used to cure fevers, anemia, and diseases of the digestive and lymphatic systems. The leaves of the beet plant are cooked and eaten for their rich nutritional content.

In fact, Swiss chard is a close relative to beets, having been cross-bred with cabbage. Beetroot is often peeled, and cooked before it is eaten as a hearty and earthy addition to any meal. The use of beets for medicinal purposes has been proven by modern scientific study, and newer research is finding even more benefits to health!

Cardiovascular Health and Exercise Tolerance

Some of the newest health research on beets relates to its nitrate (NO3) content. Supplementation with beetroot juice over the course of 6 days was shown to help reduce systolic blood pressure. It also helped to reduce oxygen consumption during exercise, without altering the energy metabolism in the mitochondria (the cell’s furnace). It is thought that the nitrate present in beetroot is converted to nitric oxide (NO), which has a number of beneficial effects in the human body. Nitric oxide promotes dilation of the vasculature and helps to push oxygen from the blood into the muscles. Both of these effects can create a significant increase in athletic performance and can help to benefit Cardiovascular Health. This is the reason that many athletes have begun supplementing with beetroot as a source of nitric oxide. Interestingly, this cardiovascular benefit of beets is independent of the ability to stimulate choline production.

Beets Create Choline

Research from the last decade validated the curative properties of dark-coloured red beets and their greens. Certain constituents found in red beets, called betaine and betanin, improve the digestion of food and help to create choline. Choline increases liver cell activity, strengthens the walls of capillaries, and decreases the amount of cholesterol in the blood. Choline is a lipotropic, fat emulsifying, agent for the treatment of fatty deposits in the liver and other organs.

Fibre and Digestion

The insoluble fibre that can be found in the entire beet plant absorbs and removes toxic substances, heavy metals and cholesterol from the body when ingested. In addition, insoluble fibre strengthens intestinal contractions and promotes the active secretion of digestive juices and bile, thus helping to reduce constipation and indigestion. For more information on these benefits, please see our Fibre article. Cooked preparations are recommended for dealing with digestive complaints.

Wound Healing and Nutrition

Red beets also promote wound healing and have anti-inflammatory properties. They help to settle the immune system and stimulate an appropriate response to injury. Beet greens are richer than spinach in iron and other minerals. They are used to treat anemia, poor appetite, obesity, gout and can help to reduce blemishes.

How Can I Get More Beets?

As mentioned above, beet tops and beetroot can simply be cooked and eaten for their rich nutritional value. Juice, made from the beet or the beet and its greens, is often used medicinally as well. Beet juice can be combined with other vegetable juices, which reportedly increases the beets’ health effects. More vitamin and minerals are found in raw juices and preparations than in cooked preparations. In general the dose for beet juice is between 100 and 500ml daily, with lower doses for general nutritional support, and higher doses for affecting athletic performance. Beets may be found alone or in combination supplements used for detoxification, nutritional support, and to help promote improved circulation and athletic performance. The dose of dried beet juice has not yet been established so it is best to follow the manufacturer’s recommended dosages.