Hate them or love them, beets are one of the most nutritious veggies around. While they may not be the kind of veggie you can throw into any meal (unless you really like eating purple food) introducing beet juice into your diet can offer you many of the benefits of eating beets with fewer hassles.
If you still aren’t sure about drinking down the purple stuff, here are 5 convincing reasons why you should start juicing your beets.
Lower blood pressure
More young South Africans are developing high blood pressure than ever before. This is linked to stress and a poor diet. While there are definitely more changes you need to make to your diet, adding beetroot to your diet can help keep your blood pressure in check.
Beetroot is high in nitrates, a mineral that converts to nitric oxide that widens and relaxes the blood vessels lowering the blood pressure naturally.
Better stamina
Another benefit of the nitrates in beetroot is that they improve stamina, making them an excellent addition to your diet when you workout or when you are training for an athletic event.
A study published in the International Journal of nutrition and exercise metabolism showed that trained cyclists could improve their time on a 10km cycle by just increasing their nitrate intake.
Cancer-fighting antioxidants
Foods rich in antioxidants are known for their benefits in cancer prevention. While blueberries may be the IT food for antioxidants they are expensive, unlike beetroot that can be consumed in higher amounts and more frequently at a lower cost.
A low-calorie sweet treat
Beetroots are naturally sweet, but also low in calories. While drinking juice is not advised on ow calorie diets because of the high calories in them, beetroot juice could be an exception at just 70 calories a glass.
Beetroot juice can also be used in smoothies and to make other treats in a similar way you would use fruit juice.
It’s a natural energy drink
After a rough day, late-night, or even physical strain your body might b begging you for a nap when you really can’t take one. Beet juice is a great energy drink at those moments and is also healthier than most energy drinks on the market. Like most energy drinks beetroot juice is rich in electrolytes and potassium which give you an energy boost.
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