Beetroot, a root vegetable that is also known as a beet, is considered a superfood by many due to its high level of antioxidants and phytochemicals known to boost your body’s health. This ruby-colored delight gets its pigment from betacyanins, powerful antioxidants known to reduce inflammation and protect against oxidative stress.
Beets also contain anthocyanins, antioxidants found only in red, purple, and blue fruits and vegetables known to protect against many health issues like hypertension, heart disease, cancer, and neurodegenerative diseases.
Beets are naturally high in nitrates, which are converted into nitric oxide in the body. Nitric oxide is a molecule our bodies produce that helps our cells communicate with each other. The leading site of the molecule’s communication is the inner layer of blood vessels, the endothelium. From the endothelium, nitric oxide diffuses to underly smooth muscles. This causes the walls of blood vessels to dilate, or widen, increasing blood flow through the vessels and decreasing blood pressure….