The world is flooded with miraculous creatures. There are a lot of fruits that are considered vegetables and vice-versa. Well, you must want to resolve such mysteries. Beet is an everyday item that is commonly found in every second home. Most of you may assess beets as fruits. Meanwhile, others view them as vegetables.
According to various viewpoints, it is concluded that beets are vegetables. Isn’t it surprising? Many of you must be used to calling them fruit. Beetroot is a root crop and is served as a vegetable meal. There’s still a lot more that you want to know about beets. So, what are you procrastinating for?
Let’s dive in and explore the benefits and drawbacks of beets. Here we go.
Key Takeaways:
- Beets are a root harvest regarded as vegetables.
- The scientific name of beets is “Beta Vulgaris.”
- Here are the nutritional facts about beets.
| Nutrient | Quantity |
| Calories | 58.5 |
| Carbohydrates | 13 g |
| Sugar | 9.19 g |
| Fibers | 3.81 g |
| Iron | 1.1 mg |
| Protein | 2 g |
| Sodium | 106 mg |
| Fat | 0 g |
| Calcium | 21.76 mg |
| Potassium | 442 mg |
What Do You Know About Beets?
You must have heard the terms beets and beetroots. Scientifically, beet is known as Beta Vulgaris. Beets are dark red root vegetables. You can add beets to your meal by various methods. You can serve beets in the following ways.
- Salad
- Baked Beets
- Pickled Beets
- Soups
- Boiled Beets
You’ll never regret adding a beet dish to your dining table.
Nutritional Facts Of Beetroots
Beets are a nutrition-rich vegetable to add to your diet. The pure red color of the beets illustrates the presence of betaine. Therefore, beets are good natural antioxidants for your body. Here are the nutrients present in a single cup of raw beets.
| Nutrient | Quantity |
| Calories | 58.5 |
| Carbohydrates | 13 g |
| Sugar | 9.19 g |
| Fibers | 3.81 g |
| Iron | 1.1 mg |
| Protein | 2 g |
| Sodium | 106 mg |
| Fat | 0 g |
| Calcium | 21.76 mg |
| Potassium | 442 mg |
The given table provides you with the whole nutrients of beetroot. You can also gain the goodness of multiple vitamins from beets.
What Do Beets Taste Like?
You might be hearing the beetroot term for the first time. Do you want to know what beets taste like? Beetroot is a sweet root vegetable with a punch of earthy taste.
If you don’t like the earthiness in beets, you can cook the beetroot adequately to fade away the earthy flavor in your dish.
So, if you’re craving to try a new vegetable on any special occasion, beets are the best option.
How To Grow Beetroots?
The best thing about beets is you can grow this delicious yet healthy vegetable at your place. You must be excited to grow beetroots at your home, aren’t you? Here are a few ailments that will lead you to fresh beet harvesting.
- The initial step is land selection. A well-drained and partially shaded location is best for growing beets.
- Now, you’ll go for soil preparation. The soil shouldn’t be sticky while planting beets. You can blend biodegradable components like leaves and grass to enhance the dirt.
- You have to choose the variety of beetroot according to your soil. Only a suitable array of beets will grow tremendously.
- Here comes the time to plant seeds. You’ll have to make a half-inch-deep hole and plant the seeds in them at a considerable distance.
- Fertilization is a crucial factor in the growth of plants. You can get suitable fertilizer from the agricultural center near you.
- Plenty of water will spoil your beets in no time. You’ll have to water beetroot plants weekly.
- And that’s it. Within 8-9 weeks, you can enjoy the delicious fresh beets at home.
Benefits Of Beets
Beetroot has plenty of advantages. A few benefits of beets are given below.
1) Enhanced Exercise Capacity
Beetroots are known to be the best supplement to boost your exercise capacity. It is said that nitrates help you to improve your physical performance.
The consumption of beets can help you in the following terms.
- Boost Oxygen Use
- Increase Stamina
- Expand Running Performance
- Increase Cycling Effort
And many more. No matter what kind of exercise you’re willing to do, beetroot will help you by affecting mitochondria’s efficiency.
You must be aware that mitochondria are the powerhouse of body cells that provide energy to your organs. Beetroot juice is best for exercise.
2) Blood Pressure Maintenance
Beets are the best selection to control your high blood pressure. If you have been facing an issue of elevated blood pressure for a long time, add beetroots to your diet immediately.
Beets contain a lot of nitrates that help your blood pressure to remain stable. In your body, dietary nitrates are transformed into nitric oxide. Nitric oxide is a molecule that dilates blood vessels and results in blood pressure drops.
You might know that folate is also essential to lower boosted blood pressure. Fortunately, beetroot also encompasses folate that helps you fight against persistent hypertension.
There’s a primary thing that you need to remember. Only consistent use of beetroot will help you in blood pressure maintenance.
3) Anti-Inflammatory Properties
Are you looking for a natural anti-inflammatory accessory? Beets are also known as the best vegetable with high anti-inflammatory properties. You might get inflammation due to
- Obesity
- Cancer
- Liver Diseases
- Heart Disorders
And many more. Beetroot contains betalains that act as an anti-inflammatory supplement in your body. So, a regular beetroot shot is the best cure if you’re facing inflammation in joints or any part of the body.
You can also have beet juice after surgery by consulting your physician. Beetroot sap has also reduced kidney inflammation in rats inoculated with toxic, injury-causing chemicals.
4) Brain Health
The nitrates in beets enhance brain function by stimulating the dilation of blood vessels. It also helps in improving blood flow to the brain. You might be conscious of the dwindling mental health with age.
Disturbed brain health can lead you to various neurodegenerative ailments, including Dementia. It has been noticed that the consumption of beets boosts the blood flow in the brain’s frontal lobe.
This particular area of your brain helps you in decision-making and memorizing things.
5) Diabetes
Beets comprise an antioxidant called alpha-lipoic acid that assists in low glucose statuses and boosts insulin sensitivity. If you’re facing diabetes, beet juice is a perfect solution.
The experimenters claim that oral and intravenous councils of alpha-lipoic acid supplements oversaw a reduction in peripheral and autonomic neuropathy indications in diabetic people.
Therefore, a regular intake of beetroot will provide you with an adequate ratio of insulin. So you can balance the sugar level with this juicy red vegetable.
6) Digestion
Beetroot or beet juice is the best way to keep your digestive system on track. Nowadays, the consumption of junk food leads to a lot of digestive issues in people. You might be facing such ailments due to an unhealthy diet.
Well, beetroots help you to prevent digestion sicknesses like
- IBS
- Diverticulitis
- Constipation
And other intestinal disorders. Let’s recall from the nutritional facts that beetroot contains fibers that enable you to fight against digestive issues. You can also cop with colon cancer, type 2 diabetes, and many fatal ailments.
Side Effects Of Beets
Along with the windfalls, you may also experience a few drawbacks of consuming beetroots. Here are the few most experienced side effects of beets.
1) Kidney Stones
The consumption of beetroot can also cause kidney stones in your body. The green beets contain elevated oxalates, which can endorse kidney stone formation. Oxalates also possess anti-nutrient characteristics.
So, oxalates may commence the absorption of micronutrients in your body. Oxalates’ Statuses are loftier in the leaves than the beetroot itself, but the root is nonetheless contemplated high in oxalates.
2) IBS
Undoubtedly, beets are a nutritious vegetable to add to your diet. Yet many of you may experience irritable bowel syndrome(IBD) after a vast consumption of beetroot.
Beet contains FODMAPs in the shape of fructans, which are short-chain carbs that nourish your gut bacteria. So, if you’re continuously facing digestive disorders.
The continuous intake of beets will lead you to a terrible digestive system.
How To Add Beets To Your Diet?
After going through the pros and cons of beets, you must consider the appropriate way of consuming beets. There are plenty of ways to add beets to your daily routine. A few of them are given below.
- Make beetroot juice by scraping beetroot and stirring it with an assortment of fresh orange, mint, pineapple or apples, lemon, and ginger. You can strain it subsequently for a steadier finish. The addition of other items will raise the sugar level, do remember.
- Cut raw beetroots and serve them with lemon juice and chili powder.
- Crumble or shred beets and serve them in coleslaw or a salad.
- A combo of roasted beets with goat’s cheese can be a flavorful pairing for your companions.
Bottom Line
Presently, you have all the crucial information about beets. Beetroot is a nutrition-rich vegetable with hundreds of benefits. You can relish beetroot in many ways, including salad, juice, pickled, etc. If you’re facing any drawback, such as constipation or kidney stones, you should consult your doctor asap.