What Are Beets Good For? 3 Benefits You Should Know

Let’s be honest–fruit and veggies didn’t quite excite all of us in childhood. It didn’t help that this was the era before foodie culture, when beets were often served straight from the can.

While “beet” certainly rhymes with “feet,” we are way too mature to let anything dissuade us from our love of this earth-made red-purple superfood. In fact, here at Pure Planet we LOVE our beet juice pick-me-ups (keep scrolling to see what we mean).

Here are the top reasons why we have made beets a part of our daily routines.

They can help improve your weight loss milestones.

Live Strong reports that this root vegetable can help you lose weight. And why is that? Well, their nutritional trade-off is among the best of any fruit and veggie. They boast:

• Low calorie density and fat, meaning they are lower-calorie but help you feel full
• Dietary fiber (both soluble and insoluble), which helps digestion
• Vitamin-rich properties, containing magnesium, phosphorus, potassium and iron

Their nitrate-availability also play a role, improving your exercise performance. If you don’t have this red beauty in your weight-loss regimen, you should get to it. They can be added in your salads and burgers, or even in your juices and smoothies. Along with spirulina, this is a must-have.

Beets can be beneficial for your gym goals.

That’s right. Ditch the Gatorade, because this veggie can help you work on your fitness. That’s because it contains a high amount of nitrates. These plant chemicals are especially helpful when converted to nitric oxide. Healthline reports that they help improve mitochondria efficiency, which just means creating more energy in your cells.

Plus, human studies have been pretty positive. One study published in the Journal of Applied Physiology,  found that the nitrates helped improve performance (1). The randomized, double-blind, crossover study followed 7 men as they consumed beetroot juice every day for six days while completing both low and high intensity workouts.

The root improved oxidation, which may be the reason that the men were able to exercise for longer.

Researchers from Saint Louis University found similar results in their study, published in Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics (2). Fit men and women participated in treadmill trials after consuming beetroot and a placebo on a separate occasion. While there was no change in heart-rate, the participants enjoyed lower “perceived exertion,” which helped them run.

Researchers in a different study, published in Acute Topics In Sport Nutrition, found that these benefits are more likely when you consume the veggie about 2 to 3 hours before your exercise (3).

But exercise isn’t the only way beets can benefit your health.

They can help improve blood pressure and lower oxidative stress.

In addition to vitamins, beets contain betalain, which is pigment that gives the veggie its color. Plant pigment chemicals aren’t just for aesthetics, they can also boost health benefits.

In this case, betalain can act as as antioxidant, providing an anti-inflammatory aid. While not many human studies have explored this, nutritionists and holistic health practitioners believe that veggie can help reduce oxidative stress, which in turn, would help with inflammation (4).

Oxidative-properties are one of the main reasons that beets are so great in workout regiments. But this property also makes it great for a healthy blood pressure regimen.

In some studies, beets helps improve lower blood pressure. In the Journal of Nutrition, researchers found that 23 men found improvement when eating bread enriched with beetroot. For this reason, the author’s of the study recommended the veggie to be studied as a new treatment for hypertension.

Getting Your Beets

Most nutritionists recommend getting your beet nutrition from whole foods. That’s why our premium blends are based ONLY from whole foods sources.

If you’re looking for a way to include beneficial beets in any of your regimens, we have two specific mixes:

• Organic Power Beets (Pre-workout) – Optimized with yerba mate and rhodilia root, this mix helps boost energy and performance.
• Organ Power Beets (Rapid Recovery) – Optimized with tumeric and tart cherry, this mix helps foster energy and joint-recovery.