Beet (or beet) juice has been elevated to superfood status due to its many benefits. But did you know that it can increase your stamina? Beet juice has some pretty amazing benefits to offer for your skin, hair, and health. To find out more, read on!
Benefits of beet juice for hair, skin and general health
The nutritional value of a glass of beet juice generally contains:
Nutritional value
- 58 calories
- 13 g carbohydrate (9 g sugar and 4 g fiber)
- 2 g protein
Percentages of vitamins and minerals
Beets provide recommended daily doses of:
- 1 percent vitamin A
- 2 percent calcium
- 11 percent vitamin C
- 6% iron
Benefits for the skin
Beet juice is an excellent source of antioxidants, so its topical application has anti-aging effects. Although oxidation is a crucial process, it produces free radicals that can cause damage at the cellular level, resulting in signs of aging. The antioxidants present in beet juice neutralize these free radicals, and help prevent wrinkles and fine lines.
Prevents signs of aging
- 1 medium-sized beet / beet
- Strainer
- Cotton balls
- Peel the beets and cut into smaller pieces.
- Place the pieces in the blender and blend until no large chunks are present.
- Using the strainer, separate the pulp from the juice.
- Put the juice on the face with cotton balls.
- Leave the juice for 10 minutes and wash it off your face with a gentle wash.
This treatment can be done once a week. It is recommended that you do it at night because beet juice can leave stains.
Reduces pigmentation and blemishes
Vitamin C is very effective in reducing pigmentation and blemishes. Beet juice contains a significant amount of vitamin C, and it helps with skin discoloration and pigmentation.
Moisturizes dry skin
Beets can make your skin soft and supple. This is because it removes the top layer of dead cells. Drinking beet juice can also help keep your skin hydrated.
Hair benefits
Promotes hair growth. Potassium deficiency is often related to hair loss. It is a nutrient that is crucial for hair growth. Beet juice is a good source of potassium, so its intake can prevent hair loss and promote hair growth.
Health benefits of beet juice
Improves liver function
Beet juice is often used in detox diets. This is because it helps improve liver function, which in turn helps flush toxins from your body.
Increase haemoglobin levels
It is very necessary that your haemoglobin remains at an optimal level for your body to function properly. A low level of haemoglobin can cause anemia, which can be avoided by regularly consuming beet juice.
Haemoglobin production requires iron, folate, and vitamin B12. Beets are an excellent source of folate and a good source of iron. In fact, anemic patients are often asked to include beets in their diet.
Reduces inflammation
Inflammation is usually a sign that your immune system is acting in response to trauma or infection. But the symptoms, which include redness, swelling, and pain, can cause a lot of discomfort. Intake of beet juice has been shown to reduce inflammation.
Beet juice contains betalains that exhibit anti-inflammatory properties.
Helps prevent cancer
One of the most surprising health benefits of beet juice is that it prevents cancer. Recent studies have shown that beet juice has anti-cancer properties.
Cancer cells react poorly to a high level of oxygen, and beet juice helps increase oxygen intake by cells. Beet juice is alkaline in nature, which helps fight acidosis.
Cancer cells thrive in acidic conditions, and ingesting beet juice creates a hostile environment for them. The anti-cancer properties of beets have also been attributed to the presence of a compound called betanin.
Helps in detoxification
For your body to function optimally, it needs to rid itself of toxins that could cause harm. Beet juice can help with your body's detoxification process.
There are certain compounds present in beet juice called betalains that help your body excrete toxins.
Improves stamina
When used as a supplement, beet juice can help increase endurance and improve athletic performance.
Beets help improve oxygen circulation in the muscles, resulting in better endurance and better performance.
Prevent dementia
Dementia is generally seen in the elderly. It is the loss of cognitive functions, resulting in impaired memory, personality changes, and faulty reasoning.
There have been a number of studies that tried to find a cure or slow progress, and beet juice has been advertised as the way to prevent it.
As one ages, our cognitive abilities begin to decline. One of the main reasons for this is the reduced blood flow to the brain.
Research undertaken to prevent cognitive disorders such as dementia, worked on the assumption that increased blood flow can prevent or delay the condition (s).
To increase blood flow to the brain, they administered nitrate-rich foods by mouth. Nitrates form nitrous oxide that improves blood flow. The oxygen supply to the brain was seen to be considerably improved and mental capacity improved with regular consumption of beet juice, which is a rich source of nitrates.
Lowers blood pressure
High blood pressure can have a very negative impact on your overall health. It is usually the result of narrow blood vessels causing difficulty in blood flow.
This puts more pressure on the heart to pump blood, and speeds up the wasting process. Beet juice, considered one of the healthiest foods in the world, can help lower blood pressure.
Several studies have shown that consumption of beet juice significantly reduces blood pressure. This has been attributed to the fact that beets are rich in nitrates.
Nitrates are important to our bodies because they break down to form nitrous oxide which is a vasodilator, which means it helps in the expansion of blood vessels to accommodate more blood flow and relieve pressure on the heart.
Helps cure arthritis
Although large amounts of beets can make it difficult to absorb calcium, beets help heal and prevent arthritis by dissolving accumulated deposits around the joints and tissues. The high alkaline content of beet juice is what causes the dissolution of these deposits.
Fight anemia
Anemia is a condition in which the blood has low levels of hemoglobin. Beets contain large amounts of phosphorus, magnesium, potassium, zinc, calcium, iodine, sulfur, copper, fat, vitamins B1, B2, B6, vitamin P, and niacin. Hence, it helps fight anemia.
Control Diabetes
Beets have alpha-lipoic acid, an antioxidant that lowers glucose levels and increases insulin sensitivity. Relieves stress-induced changes in diabetics. Studies confirm that this antioxidant fights conditions such as peripheral and autonomic neuropathy in diabetic people.
Prevents arteriosclerosis
Nitric oxide is essential for the dilation of blood vessels and helps improve blood flow. It becomes an effective prevention for arterial diseases such as arteriosclerosis. Beets contain considerable amounts of nitric oxide, thus helping to reduce the chances of arteriosclerosis.
Provides protection against free radical damage
This incredible powerhouse of strength and vitality also contains betalains or phytonutrients that have a good effect on our general health. Betalains give this vegetable its unique red color and are very rich in antioxidants.
They are also good for detoxifying the entire body and fighting inflammation. Two important phytonutrients in beets are betanin and vulgaxanthin, which protect the body from free radical damage by getting rid of harmful toxins that enter our body through diet and air.
Works as a body cleanser
Beet juice, when combined with carrot or cucumber juice, works wonders to cleanse the body from within, cleansing important organs such as the kidneys and gallbladder.
Other benefits of beet juice
- Iron helps in the production of red blood cells in the body.
- Beets have foliated that help the synthesis of DNA in cells.
- Its fibers are useful to slow down the conversion of fiber into glucose. Therefore, it is very beneficial for people who have type 2 diabetes.
- Fiber is also helpful in lowering cholesterol.
- The nitrates present in beets widen the blood vessels that help to exercise in a better way. Therefore, it is very important for athletes.
- Beets also have silica. Silica is useful for strengthening hair and bones and even for maintaining good, glowing skin.
Selection and storage
As with most fresh juices, beet juice cannot be stored for long. If you are preparing beet juice, immediate consumption is recommended. This is due to two factors - the heat generated during juicing and oxidation - which can cause the juice to degrade.
You can store the juice in the refrigerator if you are supposed to consume it in a few days. Adding lemon or lime juice, or any other fruit that contains citric acid, can help extend the shelf life of the juice, as it acts as a natural preservative. Make sure you use an airtight glass container to store the juice.
Another way to preserve juice is to freeze it, but it can result in nutrient loss.
Always extract the juice from fresh, raw beets. Cooking or steaming can cause beets to lose their nutritional value.
Other tips for using beet juice
- It can be used as makeup. Simply dip a cotton swab in the juice, and apply to your lips for a beautiful reddish stain.
- Beets add a healthier plus to your smoothies or juices with apple, kale, or spinach.
- Beet juice is essentially health in a glass. So be sure to incorporate it into your diet.
Caution
Although beet juice is safe when consumed in moderate amounts, drinking excessive beet juice can cause low calcium levels and worsen kidney disease.
Beet juice can also result in a condition called bacteria, where urine turns pink or red. It is not considered harmful, but it may indicate an iron deficiency.
Hearing loss (also called hearing impairment) makes it hard to hear or understand sounds. This happens when there is a problem with one or more parts of the ear, the nerves coming from the ears, or the hearing part of the brain. Some people are born with hearing loss.
