Why Are Beets Good for You? Dissecting the Benefits of the Purple Plant

Beets — or beetroot — are a popular root vegetable, but the surprising health benefits of beets can be a little overlooked. Not only are they packed with vitamins, minerals and other essential nutrients, but they also make a versatile addition to your diet. Beets have some incredible properties that can dramatically improve your wellness and reduce the likelihood of developing some all-too-common health conditions. 

If you’re not a fan of the taste or don’t have access to high-quality organic beets where you live, red beet supplements make the perfect substitute that allow you to take advantage of the fantastic benefits beets have to offer. So how can beets enhance your health?

What Are the Health Benefits of Beets?

One of the amazing things about beets is that they have a very high nutritional value while remaining low in calories — an impressive feat that makes them one of a select few high-nutrition superfoods. 

Their unique nutritional content makes them especially potent, allowing you to take advantage of a range of health benefits without any major drawbacks. Beets can: 

1. Provide Essential Vitamins and Minerals

As nutrient-dense foods, beets contain an exceptional amount of vitamins and minerals that you need to get from your diet. They’re high in vitamin C, folate, potassium, manganese and iron, to name just a few, giving you a fantastic, nourishing boost.

You’d have to eat quite a few beets to get your recommended daily intake (RDI) of all of the vitamins and minerals found in the red-purple plant. This is why beet supplements like Salus Red Beet Crystals can make your vitamin intake easier to manage. Simply adding one heaped tablespoon of the beet crystals to a glass of water will give you a delicious, healthy drink that will top up your vitamin and mineral reserves simply and naturally.

2. Reduce Inflammation

Beets contain betalains, which are phytonutrients that not only give beets their distinctive red-purple colour but also provide extensive health benefits. They have potent anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties, which help prevent diseases like heart disease, arthritis and diabetes.

If you struggle with aches or pains associated with inflammation, eating beets might help reduce your discomfort and improve your overall well-being. Taking a beet supplement once daily for a few weeks can help you manage your symptoms and even overcome your ailments.

3. Bolster Digestive Health

Although beets might turn your stools purple — something that you shouldn’t be too worried about after eating beets — they are a great source of fibre, which is an essential part of your diet. As insoluble fibre passes through your digestive system, it helps to solidify your stools, enhancing digestion and keeping you regular. 

In addition, eating beets or taking a beet supplement can help prevent digestive troubles such as constipation, inflammatory bowel disease and potentially forms of colon cancer due to their naturally high fibre content.

4. Boost Athletic Performance

Shots of beet juice might not sound like a typical pre-game ritual, but beets have been proven to benefit sporting performance — dietary nitrate supplementation in the form of beetroot juice can improve muscle efficiency and endurance, helping athletes across different sports up their game.

You don’t have to be a professional athlete to take advantage of the health benefits of beets. No matter how much you work out, beet juice or beet supplements can make your exercise more effective and worthwhile.

5. Manage Blood Pressure Levels

High blood pressure can be the precursor of heart attacks, stroke, kidney disease and vascular dementia, making it incredibly important to keep track of your blood pressure levels. Eating a well-balanced diet low in salt is a great way to reduce the risk of these serious health issues, and if you want to go a step further to protect your health, add beets or beets supplements to your shopping list.

Studies have proven that beets can dramatically lower systolic pressure in just a few hours. This is due to the high nitrate content of beets, which dilate your blood vessels and benefit your circulatory system when processed by the body. The effects last for several hours afterwards, so to maintain lower blood pressure, you can take a beet supplement such as Salus Red Beet Crystals up to four times a day.

Are There Any Drawbacks to Beets?

Sometimes you can have too much of a good thing. With such an impressive array of benefits, it’s important to be aware of a few things about beets that might adversely affect your health if you have any pre-existing conditions. 

They can turn your urine or stool red or purple, so take note of when you eat beets so that you don’t suddenly panic if you pass discoloured waste. Beets might contribute to kidney stones as they’re high in oxalate, and although the risk is low, it’s advisable to limit your beet intake if you have a kidney condition.

Should You Take a Beet Supplement?

Besides a few very minor disadvantages, you can enjoy the great benefits of beets, which will help you to stay happy, healthy and full of energy whatever your age. If you’re looking for a better way to make managing your health more simple, red beet supplements are a great natural, health-enhancing option for you. They take the hassle out of preparing beets, allowing you to spend more time on the more important things in life, so why not give beet supplements a go today?

Explore our range of red beet supplements and take control of your health and wellness with some excellent gluten-free and non-GMO products.