Marinated, baked, or boiled – beetroot is an extremely versatile vegetable that lands on our tables in various forms. We can use it to prepare both easy-to-digest salads and nutritious soups – enough to mention the warming red borscht, without which most of us cannot imagine a Christmas menu. The aromatic and spicy beetroot, which owes its characteristic taste and distinctive color to beetroot, is a popular healthy vegetable.
Health Benefits of Beetroot
Beetroot delicacies are distinguished not only by their taste. “Beets are rich in many essential health ingredients. The presence of fiber has a positive effect on digestion, while the nitrates contained in them lower blood pressure. Their alkaline-forming properties help reduce heartburn. They are packed with vitamins and minerals, ”explains Anya Guy, a dietitian and nutrition expert at the Mayo Clinic in Minnesota.
This is not the end of the advantages of beetroot. They owe their characteristic color to anthocyanins – dyes that are also antioxidants. Their key function is to prevent the formation of free radicals and thus delay the process of premature skin aging. Betaine also has an antibacterial effect. Thanks to its ability to fight inflammation, beetroot effectively strengthens immunity.
It also belongs to the group of products recommended for people suffering from anemia. The secret of its action lies in the high content of folic acid and vitamin C, deficiencies of which often lead to anemia. The great advantage of beetroots is also the small number of calories they provide. Frequent consumption of these vegetables will quickly improve your metabolism, and thus your body shape.
Importantly, beets do not lose their properties when cooked or pickled. Therefore, regardless of whether we choose fresh, baked, or jarred beets, we will obtain a number of health benefits. It is important to eat them regularly. “The suggested beetroot is half a glass,” Guy points out. “You can go ahead and add them to dietary salads, warming soups, and nutritious cocktails, and even put them on pizzas,” he argues.
The Beetroot Leak Test is Bullshit
Many people notice that their urine turns pink or slightly red after eating beetroot. There is a theory that this has to do with leaky gut. Scientists, however, long ago refuted this theory. In medicine, there is no such disease entity as “leaky gut” – explains Diana Wolańska-Buzalska, a clinical nutritionist from the National Center for Nutritional Education, Institute of Food and Nutrition.
Red urine after eating beetroot is a completely natural phenomenon and should not be alarming. The color is caused by the dye contained in the vegetable – betaine. During digestion, it is broken down and processed, but a small part usually passes through the digestive system unchanged. Hence the beetroot urine. This phenomenon can occur in different people with varying degrees of intensity. It depends on our diet and individual characteristics. Neither the color of the urine after consuming these vegetables nor the lack of it is cause for concern.