DavidWolfe.comThe word on the street is beet! And beet juice is an excellent way to experience this nutritious food. Yep, that luscious purple-red beet juice has all the benefits of raw beets.
If beets aren’t a regular part of your diet, they should be! Beets boast several phytonutrients, including betalains, which provide antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and detoxification effects. These colorful vegetables also contain powerful nutrients that protect against heart disease, birth defects, and even certain cancers. Because the nutrients are lost quickly with heat, though, beet juice is a healthy choice. (1)
Here are six reasons you should add beet juice to your diet.
1. Beets Have Anti-Cancer Properties
The betalains that give beets their deep red color may keep cancer at bay. For example, research has shown that beetroot extract reduced multi-organ tumor formations in multiple studies. In fact, beetroot extract is being further studied for use in treating pancreatic, breast, and prostate cancers. The combination of antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects in beets makes them a likely candidate to reduce cancer risk. (2)
2. Beets Detox Your Liver
The nutrients in beets have been shown to support the body’s detoxification process. You see, beets are high in nutrients that help rid the body of waste and toxins, while strengthening the immune system. For one, the betaine in beet juice helps the liver cells eliminate toxins. Also, the pectin in beets clears the toxins that have been removed from the liver, so they don’t make their way back into the body. Furthermore, the betalains in beets have high anti-inflammatory properties to encourage detoxification. Without a doubt, beets are amazing for your liver! (3)
3. Beets Fight Constipation
Well, there’s more than meets they eye when it comes to constipation. Beetroot juice offers several benefits to improve gut health. For one thing, you can add some of the pulp back into your juice to get the fiber with the nutrients. Often, people suffer constipation simply because they’re dehydrated. One solution is dilution! And beet juice certainly helps with that. Also, people often eat their beets cooked. Unfortunately, the delicate nutrients in beets easily degrade when cooked. Therefore, adding raw beet juice to your diet keeps waste materials moving through the intestines at a healthy pace. (4)
4. Beets Can Reduce The Risk Of Birth Defects
Beets are high in Vitamin C and fiber, along with potassium and manganese. These essential minerals are vital for healthy nerve and muscle function, along with healthy bones, kidneys, pancreas, and liver. Beets also contain folic acid, the B Vitamin that can reduce the risk of birth defects. Juicing beets keeps these nutrients along with important enzymes in their raw state. (5)
5. Beets Lower Your Blood Pressure
Drinking beet juice can lower blood pressure levels in just a few hours. For example, one study found that drinking one glass of beet juice lowered participants’ blood pressure by an average of 4-5 points. This benefit can be attributed to the naturally occurring nitrates in beets, which are converted to nitric oxide in the body. Nitric oxide improves blood flow because it relaxes and dilates the blood vessels to improve blood flow and lower blood pressure. In fact, several studies over the past decade show this benefit of beet juice. (6)
6. Beets Fight Inflammation
It’s no secret. Most illnesses and chronic diseases begin with inflammation in the body. Betaine is just one nutrient in beets that protects cells, proteins, and enzymes from environmental stress. The nutrients that help detox the body also fight inflammation. But betaine, in particular, works to fight inflammation as well as protect internal organs, which helps to prevent those chronic diseases. (7)
Check out the video below to learn how to prepare a delicious beet juice!