Beetroot
Benefits, Nutritional Profile and How to!
Beetroot is the taproot portion of the beet plant. In most countries, it is simply called ‘beets.’ Other names for this famous root include garden beet, table beet, red beet and beet greens which are mostly attributed to the leaf and edible taproots.
Beetroot has become a bit more popular in recent times due to its purported biological potential as a health promoting and disease prevention functional food. One major cited benefit of beetroot is that it is a great source of nitrate, a nutrient that is beneficial for heart health. Some of the benefits include its ability to manage oxidative stress as well as its anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties due to the constituents – betalain.
Betalain pigments are the substances that give beetroot their profound colours as well as responsible for its high antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. As such, betalain pigments can range from either red to violet or yellow to orange in colour – the betaxanthin pigment.
You can read more on Beetroot in this detailed article here.
Beetroot Nutritional Profile
100g – (3.5 ounces) of raw Beetroot:
- Calories: 43g
- Protein: 61g
- Carbohydrates: 56g
- Fiber: 8g
- Calcium: 16 mg
- Potassium: 325 mg
- Dietary Nitrate: 250 mg
- Phosphorus: 40 mg
- Water:6g
Ref: (USDA, 2019).
Here are some Health Benefits of Eating Beetroot
- Help in the prevention of oxidative stress, which if not managed, can lead to the development of some of the common debilitating diseases (i.e. cancer, diabetes, etc.).
- High in antioxidants.
- High in anti-inflammatory properties.
- May help in promoting cognitive health.
- May help in blood pressure management.
Remember, You can read the detailed article on Beetroot here
Here are some ways You can include Beetroot in your diet
- Juicing.
- Add to salads.
- Making a Punch.
- Main dishes including rice.
- Pastries.
How will you add this nutrient-dense Food to your diet?
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