The benefits of beetroot
If you are like me beets aren’t exactly your favorite vegetable to eat let alone drink. It’s not that it tastes bad I just don’t care for it. So, when I started hearing about all the supposed benefits I had to take a hard look at it. Fortunately I don’t actually have to eat beetroot or juice it to drink though those are certainly options for many. Thankfully beetroot powder is readily available. You can simply put it in juice or any other drink of choice like a smoothie for instance. You can probably add it to yogurt as well. I like an easy solution.
So what are the benefits you ask, good question? For some time now consuming beetroot juice has been known to impart many healthful benefits such as increasing blood flow and lowering blood pressure by relaxing blood vessels. You might even get a mild Viagra type of effect from it; blood flow remember. Beetroot is high in nitrates which convert in the body to nitric oxide. The process of converting dietary nitrates to No begins in the far reaches of the mouth where bacteria begin the conversion to nitrites. For this reason using mouth wash can cause your blood pressure to increase, because it kills these healthy bacteria. (Sorry Listerine) Thereafter nitrite is converted to nitric oxide in the stomach and absorbed systemically.
Beetroot exercise boost
Now a new study by the University of Exeter and the U.S. national Institute of Health traced nitrate distribution in the blood, saliva and muscle of test subjects. An hour after ingestion the subjects were asked to perform leg extension exercises at maximum intensity for 5 minutes. The team found a significant increase in muscle nitrate and a 7 percent increase in strength versus a placebo. The belief is that the nitrate converted to nitric oxide in the muscle facilitating exercise performance. Nitrates have previously been shown to increase cardiovascular efficiency during aerobic exercise as well as boost high intensity training capacity. For distance athletes this means running farther, clocking better times and enhanced recovery. For high intensity workouts the ability to increase the workout intensity would yield better results and likely better fat burning due to the increase of post workout metabolic activity. Hey if you’re going to do the work why not get the most bang for your buck?
Beetroot for your heart
Image by Explorer Bob
Beetroot is believed to be cardio protective. Nitric oxide relaxes blood vessels lowering blood pressure and increasing blood flow. This means the heart doesn’t have to work as hard. In addition beetroot has other chemicals such as betanin and polyphenols that are anti-oxidants which lower oxidative stress which left unchecked can damage cells and reduce efficiency. Consuming beetroot can also make blood platelets less sticky and less likely to form a plaque. Lastly, these chemicals are anti-inflammatory further reducing stress on the system. Inflammation is considered to be a causation of illness and disease.
Beetroot for your brain
Since beetroot increases blood flow that also means better blood flow in the brain, better oxygenation and better anti-inflammatory effect. Beets are also high in magnesium and tyrosine which help improve neurotransmitter hormone levels. This all means better cognition.
How to take beetroot
There are quite a few ways to supplement with beets. You can cook and eat them in salads or a side dish for instance. Some choose to juice them or you can even make them into chips. There are also novel ways available such as gels, cereal bars and of course beetroot powder. I personally like the powder and cereal bar options.
L-Arginine
An alternate nitrate donor is the freeform amino acid L-arginine. L-arginine has been used as a nitric oxide booster for quite some time and is a common ingredient in natural ED alternatives. Both beetroot and L-Arginine should yield similar uses and results, but for those who prefer a pill this is an option. Most studies use between 2.5- 5 grams of L-Arginine. The pills are pretty huge so there’s that. Depending on your reason for supplementing your use would either be daily for health benefits or on days you exercise (I-1 ½ Hours before) for exercise boost.
By the way, beetroot juice may change the color of your urine so don’t freak out.
References:
https://encyclopedia.pub/entry/2777 Beetroot a remarkable vegetable
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2023/01/230123083441.htm Dietary nitrate -- found in beetroot juice -- significantly increases muscle force during exercise
https://www.webmd.com/diet/health-benefits-beets Health Benefits of Beets
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5295087/Effects of Beetroot Juice Supplementation on Cardiorespiratory Endurance in Athletes. A Systematic Review
https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/0022034516673019 From Nitrate to Nitric Oxide: The Role of Salivary Glands and Oral Bacteria
https://health.clevelandclinic.org/the-health-benefits-of-beets/ 5 Health Benefits of Beets