Beets may be an acquired taste, but they are super good for you.
Some foods are healthy, delicious, and good for you (think avocados), while others have a ton of nutritional benefits, and take a little getting used to taste-wise. Beets are the latter.
Let me preface this by saying, I didn’t always like beets. In fact, I used to think they taste like dirt. But after that first soil-flavored bite, I noticed that the taste actually becomes pleasant. I can say without a doubt that I actually enjoy eating beets now, which is great because they have a slew of healthy benefits.
How beets taste depend entirely on how they are prepared. You can eat beets raw, roasted, cooked, or fermented. It truly is a versatile root vegetable, and can benefit your heart, blood pressure, brain, digestion, and even athletic stamina.
Here are a five reasons you should add more beets to your diet:
Blood Pressure- Beets contain nitrates, which are turned into nitric oxide, which helps to relax blood vessels through dilation, improving blood flow. Raw beets can lower your blood pressure by 4+ points within a few hours of consumption.
Athletic Stamina- Beet juice and raw beets can increase your athletic stamina by as much as 16%, due to the conversion of nitrates into nitric oxide.
READ MORE: Five Health Benefits of Dandelion
Digestion- Beets are very high in fiber, which is essential to gut health, and reduces the overall risk of diabetes, cancer, and heart disease.
Heart Health– Beet juice has been shown to have a healthy effect in people who suffer from heart problems, especially those with a reduced capacity to exercise.
Brain health– Because of their nitric oxide conversion, beets help increase blood flow to the brain, which obviously benefits your health overall.
So, if you have never really given beets a fair chance, try them this week! If you aren’t a fan of the taste, google some recipes and start experimenting.
Your body and overall health will thank you!