A healthy diet is always necessary for healthy and disease-free living. A healthy diet is one that is balanced in terms of its nutritional value. It provides the body with all the essential nutrients that are essential for its proper functioning. However, sometimes the body has some particular dietary requirements and the diet needs to be altered accordingly. This must be done under the supervision of a dietician or an expert.
Beetroot is a bulbous and sweet root vegetable with which we have a love-hate kind of relationship. But despite this, Beetroot has grown to the status of a superfood in the past few years. As per researchers, Beetroot juice is very good for health.
Here are 7 reasons why you must drink it every day.
1. Helps manage blood pressure
Beetroot juice has nitrates that convert into nitric oxide in the blood. Nitric oxide helps widen and relax blood vessels, which results in lowering blood pressure. According to research, people who drank 200 ml of beetroot juice every day had a lower systolic and diastolic blood pressure.
2. May slow the progression of dementia
According to studies, a high-nitrate diet is required to prevent or slow dementia. Nitrates help in increasing blood flow to the brain in older people. Beetroot juice, being nitrate-rich, increases blood flow in the frontal lobes. The frontal lobes are associated with cognitive thinking and behavior.
3. Helps in maintaining a healthy weight
Beetroot juice is low in calories and has no fat. Thus, it is a great option for a morning smoothie. It gives enough nutrients and energy boost to start your day.
4. Good source of potassium
Beetroots are a good source of potassium, mineral, and electrolyte that help nerves and muscles function properly. Drinking beetroot juice daily helps keeps the potassium levels optimal.
5. May prevent Cancer
Beetroots get their rich color from betalains, which are water-soluble antioxidants. According to a study, betalains have chemo-preventive abilities against some cancer cell lines. They are free radical scavengers that help find and destroy unstable cells in the body.
6. Supports the liver and lowers cholesterol
Poor diet, exposure to toxic substances, excessive alcohol consumption may lead to nonalcoholic fatty liver disease. The antioxidant betaine present in beetroot potentially helps prevent or reduce fatty deposits in the liver. It may also help protect the liver from toxins. Also, the phytonutrients in beetroot help in lowering cholesterol.
7. May improve muscle power in people with heart failure
A study conducted in 2015 suggested additional benefits of the nitrates in beet juice. It showed that people with heart failure experienced a 14 percent increase in muscle power 2 hours after drinking beet juice.