The Beet of My Heart

Beets for Blood Flow & Recovery

Beets & Blood

Beetroots are a delicious, antioxidant, vitamin and polyphenol-rich food that is great to include in the diet. I Love to add beets to my salads, smoothies and elixirs. There are so many creative ways you can use this functional food. Beetroots can help increase blood flow, increase oxygen throughout the body, work well for performance recovery, and are anti-cancer.

Benefits of Beets

• High Antioxidant

• Anti-cancer

• Polyphenol properties

• Increase Blood Flow

• Increase oxygenation throughout the body

• Fight Free Radicals

• High in Vitamins C & E

• High in folate, potassium, iron

• Reduce cholesterol

Polyphenols in Beets :

Polyphenols are compounds found in many plant foods, including tea, chocolate, berries, nuts, and seeds. Polyphenols in the diet can help improve lipid profiles, blood pressure, insulin resistance, and systemic inflammation. Polyphenols act as antioxidants in the body and can help promote immune function and protect the body from oxidative stress. Further, polyphenols are positively correlated with the improvement of gut health by increasing gut diversity (Rana, 2022). 

Polyphenols also have the ability to enhance red blood cells’ affinity for oxygen. Red blood cells' main function is to carry oxygen from the lungs to the rest of the body. Erythrocytes contain the protein hemoglobin, which has the ability to bind to oxygen. Not only can hemoglobin bind to oxygen, but it also has the ability to carry polyphenol antioxidants (Koren, 2010). 

Hemoglobin's ability to bind to polyphenols also increases its affinity for binding to oxygen. So, there is a positive feedback mechanism that exists between the polyphenols and oxygen. The more polyphenols present allow for hemoglobin to exhibit enhanced total oxidant-scavenging capacities.(TOSC) (Koren, 2010). Beets are a great source of polyphenols in the diet.

Beets & Blood Flow

Aside from their high polyphenol content, beets contain high concentrations of nitrate, which is converted to nitric oxide in the body. Nitric Oxide has many functions in the body including a vasodilatory effect - increasing blood flow, reducing blood pressure, and increasing oxygen and nutrient delivery to organs throughout the body. Including beets in the diet has an impact on oxygen delivery to skeletal muscles, muscle efficiency, and endurance, making it a popular pre and post-workout food and supplement. By enhancing oxygen delivery and thus can extend the working hours before fatigue begins.

Anti-Cancer Compounds 

Beetroot has been shown to be anti-cancer due to its ability to inhibit cell proliferation and promote apoptosis, and autophagy. Beetroot contains the antioxidants betalains, (mainly betanin). Betalains are anti-carcinogenic and can help reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease. This is partly contributed to betaines ability to scavenge free radicals in the body. 

A Study of the antitumor activity of beetroot showed that consuming betanin in beetroot helped reduce the growth of both skin and lung tumors. In animal models, lung tumors were reduced up to 60%.  Another study found that betanin significantly reduced the development of tumors caused by chemical carcinogens. 

Beets in Ayurvedic Medicine:

In ayurvedic studies, Beetroot has Guru property that helps enhance blood flow. It is believed to help keep the body strong and healthy. Regular consumption of beetroot is thought to help increase energy levels and enhance overall athletic performance.

Beets in Chinese Medicine:

In traditional Chinese medicine, Blood is considered a vehicle for Qi and an understanding of blood includes the idea that blood carries inherent energy. Beets are considered to be cleansing to the liver, lubricate the intestines, improve blood circulation, and calm the mind and spirit.

Beet Recipes:

BBest Beet Smoothie

REFERENCES 

• 1

  Chen, L., Zhu, Y., Hu, Z., Wu, S., & Jin, C. (2021). Beetroot as a functional food with huge health benefits: Antioxidant, antitumor, physical function, and chronic metabolomics activity. Food science & nutrition, 9(11), 6406–6420. LINK

• 2

  Zamani, H., de Joode, M. E. J. R., Hossein, I. J., Henckens, N. F. T., Guggeis, M. A., Berends, J. E., de Kok, T. M. C. M., & van Breda, S. G. J. (2021). The benefits and risks of beetroot juice consumption: a systematic review. Critical reviews in food science and nutrition, 61(5), 788–804.

  LINK

• 3

  Koren E, Kohen R, Ginsburg I. Polyphenols enhance total oxidant-scavenging c capacities of human blood by binding to red blood cells. Experimental Biology and Medicine. 2010;235(6):689-699.

  LINK