Are beetroot healthy?

Red beets, typically Dutch and versatile. But are they also healthy? And can they help with weight loss? Discover it here!

Are beetroot healthy?

I hear you asking yourself: ‘are beetroot really that healthy?’ The answer is: absolutely! Red beets are actually super healthy.

They are low in calories and packed with healthy nutrients. In addition, they are an excellent source of dietary fiber, which provides several health benefits. Are you interested in the many benefits that beetroot has to offer? Then read on.

What are beetroot?

You may be wondering, “What exactly are beetroot?” Good thing you asked! Red beets, also known as ‘Dutch kroot’ or ‘krootjes’. Red beets are also called ‘Dutch kroot’ or ‘krootjes’, and they have a long history as a vegetable. They were already discovered in the 16th century. Roots are tubers with a dark red color and have green leaves with red veins.

There are two types of beets, summer beets and winter beets. Winter beets are considerably larger than summer beets. Summer beets are often sold in bunches, with the foliage (leaves) still attached to the tuber.

The tuber has a fresh, sweet and characteristic earthy taste. Beetroot can be eaten cold or hot. For example, they are often served cold in salads. Tip: try them with goat cheese and bulgur.

What is the nutritional value of beetroot?

Below you can read the nutritional value of a serving spoon of cooked beets (50 grams).

• Energy 15 kcal
• Fat 0.1 g

– of which saturated 0 g

• Carbohydrates 2.3 g
  – of which sugars 2.3 g
• Fiber 1.5 g
• Protein 0.6 g
• Salt 0.08 g

What are the nutrients of beets?

Below you can read which and how many nutrients are contained in a serving spoon of cooked beets (50 grams).

Nutrient	Quantity	Recommended Daily Allowance (RDA)
Potassium	172 mg	3500 mg
Calcium	11 mg	Men and women 18-24 years: 1000 mg Men 25-69 years and women 25-49 years 950 mg Women 60-69 years 1100 mg
Magnesium	7 mg	Men 350 mg Women 300 mg
Iron	0.2mg	Men and women who do not menstruate 11 g Women who do menstruate 16 mg*
Selenium	0 µg	70 µg
Zinc	0.2 µg	Men (>18 years) 9 ug Women (>18 years) 7 ug Pregnant women 9.1 ug Breastfeeding women 11 ug
Vitamin A	1 ug	Men 800 μg Women 680 μg
Vitamin D	0 µg	10 μg >70 years People with tanned skin People who rarely go outside and/or cover their hands and face 20 μg
Vitamin E	0.1mg	Men 13 mg Women 11 mg
Thiamine (vitamin B1)	0.03mg	0.1mg
Riboflavin (vitamin B2)	0.03mg	1.6mg
Vitamin B6	0.02mg	Men and women 1.5 mg Men >50 years 1.8 mg
Folic acid	12 µg	300 μg Pregnant and lactating women 400 μg
Vitamin B12	0 µg	2.8 μg
Niacin	0.1mg	16 mg
Vitamin C	2 mg	75 mg
Iodine	0 µg	150 μg Pregnant and/or lactating women 200 μg.
Phosphorus	16mg [2]	550 mg (>18 years) [3]

What are the health benefits of beetroot?

Eating beetroot has many health benefits. They are a good source of fiber and are packed with nutrients. Below you can read about the most important health benefits of this vegetable.

It is low in calories

A serving spoon of beetroot (50 grams) contains only 15 calories. This way you can easily add more volume to your meal without it immediately becoming much more caloric. This makes it easier to maintain a healthy weight, which in turn reduces the risk of diseases related to obesity, such as cardiovascular disease and type II diabetes. Win win!

It is a good source of vitamins and minerals

However, just because beets are low in calories does not mean they are low in nutrients. On the contrary, beets are rich in several nutrients. The amount of potassium and manganese in this vegetable is particularly high.

Potassium is an important mineral that contributes to the fluid balance in your body [4]. Manganese is essential for, among other things, the formation of bones and the protection of body cells.

It contains antioxidants

Croquettes are packed with powerful antioxidants, substances that scavenge free radicals. Free radicals are created during normal body processes and external factors such as smoking. These harmful substances can cause damage to cells and tissues.

This damage can lead to chronic conditions in the long term, such as cardiovascular disease.

Good source of dietary fiber

With four serving spoons of beets you get no less than six grams of fiber. To meet your daily fiber needs, you need at least 25 grams of fiber for a woman and 30 grams for a man [6]. Fiber offers numerous health benefits. When you consume enough fiber, you reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes.

Insoluble fiber provides more bulk in the stool, which can improve bowel movements. Soluble fiber, on the other hand, feeds healthy intestinal bacteria and thus contributes to healthy digestion.

May possibly support brain health

There are indications that the nitrates in beets can help improve brain functions. Nitrates are substances that occur naturally in water, vegetables and fruit. The nitrates are said to cause the blood vessels in your brain to dilate, allowing blood to flow better to your brain.

Unfortunately, the current studies were of too short duration and with too few subjects. So, we will have to wait and see whether this health benefit is really true.

Possibly a positive effect on your sports performance

There are several studies in which beetroot (juice) appears to have a positive effect on sports performance. Beetroot juice is said to increase nitrate and nitrite concentrations in the blood. This causes nitric oxide (a substance in the body that transmits signals) to be formed, which ensures that the energy factories (mitochondria) in your muscles work more efficiently.

There is currently not enough evidence for this health benefit [10]. This study was conducted on beet juice, but we expect beets to have the same effect.

Lowering of blood pressure

A review of various studies shows that beets can lower blood pressure. High blood pressure increases the risk of cardiovascular disease. Beets contain the substance nitrate, which is probably the reason for this benefit.

This causes the muscles of the blood vessels to relax, causing the blood vessels to dilate. This allows more blood flow, which lowers blood pressure.

Healthy alternative to food coloring

If you’ve ever had a stain on your clothes, you’ve probably noticed that beetroot has a very intense color. Because of their bright color, they are also used as a coloring agent in foods. If you want to bake a red pie or cake yourself, you can use a little beetroot juice. This gives your baked goods a nice red color.

RESUME
Red beets are packed with vitamins, minerals and antioxidants. Due to the nitrates, it is said to have even more health benefits, such as lowering blood pressure and contributing to good brain health. Unfortunately, we still have to wait and see whether this is really true.

Are potted beetroot healthy?

You may be wondering, “What about canned beets?” Whether potted beets are healthy depends on the type of pot used. There are variants in which many unnecessary substances are added, as a result of which they are no longer considered healthy.

Consider additives such as sugar and salt. It is important to read the labels carefully and choose potted varieties without these unwanted additives, in order to maintain the healthy properties of red beets.

Is raw beetroot healthy?

And what about raw beetroot? Are they healthier than the cooked version? The answer is: Yes, certainly.

Raw beetroot is actually even healthier than cooked beetroot, because many vitamins and minerals are lost in the cooking liquid during cooking. Enjoy raw beets by, for example, making a salad with raw red beets.

Don’t like raw beets? Then choose roasted beets. This variant is also richer in nutrients than cooked beetroot. Another option is steaming beets, which retains more nutrients.

This way you can still benefit from the healthy properties of beets even if you don’t want to eat them raw.

Is beetroot juice healthy?

If beets are healthy, then beetroot juice should be healthy too, right? You can read whether this is really the case in our article beetroot juice and health . We’ll give you a sneak peek: beetroot is healthier than beetroot juice.

Does beetroot help with weight loss?

I can already hear you thinking: ‘Can beetroot help me lose weight?’ Good news, they certainly can. Red beets contain a lot of fiber, which can make you feel full. Plus, they contain very few calories, making it easy to eat more without consuming many extra calories.

If you want to lose weight, beetroot juice is even more useful, right? It is easy to drink and you can enjoy it quickly. But is beetroot juice a good idea if you want to lose weight?

How many beets can you eat per day?

If you want to know how much beetroot you can eat per day, we actually have no maximum guideline. The Nutrition Center recommends eating at least 250 grams of vegetables every day. However, you can definitely eat more vegetables.

This advice is relatively low, because many people already consume considerably less than 250 grams of vegetables. In this way the threshold for eating more vegetables is lowered.

However, it is also important to vary the types of vegetables you consume. It is healthy to eat different vegetables.

For example, prepare beetroot in a salad with other vegetables, such as cauliflower . This way you get a diverse range of nutrients. It is also very tasty to roast beetroot with onion.

Conclusion

Raw beets and cooked beets are very healthy. They contain very few calories, but at the same time a lot of dietary fiber. They are also packed with vitamins and minerals. Due to the nitrates, eating red beets may have even more additional health benefits. Future research should reveal which of the claimed health benefits are really true.