By: Abazar Habibinia, MD, DFN, CSDTT
Director of Canadian Academy of Sports Nutrition
Being famous also as beetroot, garden beet, and golden beet, beets are eaten either cooked or raw. The leafy parts are known as beet greens, which are also edible. One cup of beets contains 13 grams of carbohydrates, 3 grams of fiber and 2 grams of protein.
Average calories: 60 per one cup.
Vitamins found in higher amounts: vitamins B9, C, B6, B2 and B1.
Minerals found in higher amounts: manganese, potassium, magnesium, and iron.
Phytonutrients found in higher amounts and health benefits: phytochemicals in beets are phytosterols, betaine, betalains, and carotenoids.
Phytosterols are plant steroids and exhibit beneficial impacts on cardiovascular diseases. One cup of beet contains approximately 45 mg of phytosterols.
Betaine is a chemical compound found in beets, 175 mg in one cup of beets. Functioning along with vitamins B12, B9 and B6, betaine lowers homocysteine level. Homocysteine increases risk of cardiovascular diseases. Betaine may have a protective effect against deposition of fats in the liver (fatty liver).
A unique phytonutrient in beets is betalains (betanin and vulgaxanthin). They have antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and detoxifying effects. The red color of the vegetable results from betanin. It is a water-soluble and heat-sensitive pigment that could be destroyed in a prolonged cooking. However, betanin cannot be metabolized in the body, leading to appearance in urine (beeturia) and stool and giving a reddish color to them.
Lutein and zeaxanthin are the two carotenoid phytonutrients found in beet greens more than beetroot. One cup of raw beet greens provides about 275 mcg of lutein.
Other phytonutrients in beets include caffeic acid, ferulic acid, kaempferol and quercetin.
Beet and beetroot juice may enhance athletic performance by providing nitrites. Nitrite is a key component of nitric oxide (NO). It is a potent vasodilator, improving blood circulation. Nitric oxide in the body is made of amino acid L-arginine. There are many athletic food supplements in the market to be claimed to provide precursors for production of nitric oxide.
Beet and its juices may be beneficial in improving athletic performance and sexual erectile dysfunction (SED) by enhancing production of nitric oxide. And finally, have your beetroot juice along with creatine monohydrate and vitamin B3, and then you feel the difference in your gym workouts!
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