If you aren’t already a fan of beets, prepare to be wowed by this incredibly popular superfood. We know that beets aren’t the most attractive looking vegetables, but don’t let their appearance deter you from consuming them. Beets are loaded with vitamins A & C, iron, calcium, nitrates, potassium, and powerful antioxidants and anti-inflammatory compounds.
Beets are best enjoyed raw because cooking them can decrease their nutrient content. They can be thinly sliced and added to salads or they can be juiced or blended in smoothies. Depending on what you are aiming to do, beets can be paired with other fruits or vegetables that work to enhance their benefits. For example, a juice with beets, ginger, and lemon can help to promote natural detoxification and naturally improve digestion.
Ingredients That Go Well With Beets
- Ginger
- Apples
- Kale
- Oranges & Lemons
- Pineapple
- Papaya
- Cucumber
- Mint
- Carrots
Beets Improve Athletic Performance
Beets contain nitrates that the body converts these into nitric oxide, which is a compound that helps to dilate blood vessels and improve overall circulation. Those same nitrates work similarly to stimulate vasodilation, which is the process of relaxing blood vessels and increasing oxygen/nutrient delivery to your muscles. One study found that drinking beet juice helped improve the cardiovascular system during endurance exercises. For the best performance during your workout, start exercising two to three hours after consuming beet juice.
Beets Give You Glowing Skin
More often than not, people with a lot of impurities in their blood experience acne, dryness, or other skin conditions. Beets work to purify the blood and that helps to keep your skin looking young and healthy. The high amount of vitamin C in beets also helps to clear up blemishes and nourish skin cells.
Beets Detoxify The Liver
The liver is constantly working to remove toxins from the body. When the body is overloaded with toxins, the liver cannot remove them fast enough and you start to experience the side effects of those toxins in the body. Beets contain betaine, which is an amino acid that helps liver cells get rid of toxins. Simultaneously, betaine helps to protect bile ducts and the liver itself in order for the liver to function properly.
We hope that we’ve convinced you to include beets in your smoothies or juices. To start you off on the right track, here are three juices that you can’t beet!
Burn Fat And Beet Cellulite With This Juice
Helping to speed up the metabolism, improve digestion, and break down food more efficiently, this beet juice is slightly tart and just the right amount of sweet.
Click here to make the recipe.
Purple Power Juice
The apple and pear in this juice provide you with a healthy dose of fiber, the carrots work to nourish the skin and vision, and the beets support natural detoxification.
Click here to make the recipe.
Help Reduce Inflammation With This Beet Juice
We don’t want to discount the health properties of beets, but the lemon and ginger are the superstars in this juice because they work to reduce inflammation, improve digestion, and nourish the skin.
Click here to make the recipe.
Vincent Stevens is the senior content writer at Dherbs. As a fitness and health and wellness enthusiast, he enjoys covering a variety of topics, including the latest health, fitness, beauty, and lifestyle trends. His goal is to inform people of different ways they can improve their overall health, which aligns with Dherbs’ core values. He received his bachelor’s degree in creative writing from the University of Redlands, graduating summa cum laude. He lives in Los Angeles, CA.
