More and more people are trying to live a healthy lifestyle. A big factor in a healthy lifestyle is good food intake. So, if you’re trying to change your life for the better, try to get to know some of the healthiest ingredients to add to your recipes and why they’re healthy.
Beetroot is one of those ingredients in which the name sounds familiar but, we’re not sure what it is or why it’s in many of the healthy recipes we can find everywhere. That’s why we’ll be telling you everything you need to know about beetroot. Ready? Let’s get started.
What are beetroots?
Beetroots are vegetables otherwise known as a beet. The most common beetroots are purple or pinkish and are often cooked or pickled; however, there are other types of beetroot with different colors. Beets are known as vegetables filled with nutrients making them a great ingredient to add to your healthy food recipes.
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Nutritional Facts of Beetroot
Beets or beetroots are found in many recipes for those wanting to eat healthily but, why? We’ve mentioned that beetroot is filled with nutrients. What are these nutrients? We’ll tackle these questions by giving you the nutritional facts about beetroot.
The nutrition facts below are for one cup of raw beets.
● Calories: 58.5
● Carbohydrates: 13 grams
● Sugar: 9.19 grams
● Fiber: 3.81 grams
● Protein: 2.19 grams
To sum it all up, beets are vegetables with very low calories and a big amount of vitamins and minerals - most of which are what your body needs.
Health Benefits of Beetroot
Beetroots are undoubtedly healthy. Not convinced? Well, we’ll take the nutrition facts and raise you one. Here are some of the health benefits you can gain from eating beetroot.
- Decreases blood pressure
Studies have shown that beetroot can significantly decrease blood pressure because of the presence of nitrates in this vegetable. These nitrates help dilate blood vessels which in turn, lowers blood pressure. Having lower blood pressure levels can also decrease your risk of heart disease.
If you suffer from high blood pressure, try eating some beetroot. Although beets work better raw, cooking them won’t take away much of their nutritional value.
- Improves digestive health
Fiber is the nutrient that helps with digestion and promotes healthy bowel movements. Do you know which vegetable is high in fiber? Beetroots. A cup of these contains about 3.4 grams of fiber. Imagine the health benefits that come with that. If you want to improve your digestive health and avoid irregular bowel movements, eat your vegetables - specifically beets.
- Lowers the risk of cancer
While cancer doesn’t have a vaccine just yet, you can lower the risk of getting it through natural means such as eating beets. Beets contain nutrients and compounds such as rutin and caffeic acid which are known to be properties that fight cancer. Promote a healthy, cancer-free life by eating beets.
The Takeaway
Impressive right? Who knew you could get so much from a single vegetable. Perhaps it’s time to start eating beets as much as you eat ice cream. Beets don’t have to be eaten raw. They can be incorporated into delicious dishes to make them tastier and to make the dish you’re cooking healthier. Some dishes with beets include beetroot burger and beetroot pancake.
There are tons of ways you can stay healthy. Start by adding healthy vegetables to your diet. Take it at your own pace and enjoy living healthier.
