Beets give away a vital clue as to what they can do for your health. They bleed! Beets are good for the cardiovascular system and all the ways that healthy blood flow benefits the body—from athletic performance to cognitive function. Beetroot is rich in vitamins, minerals, anthocyanin, betacyanin, phenolic compounds, flavonoids, vitamin C, and other biologically active components. Beets are unique because they contain powerful betalains. These compounds have antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, detoxification, and anti-cancer properties. Betalains occur in two forms: betacyanin (red-violet pigment) and betaxanthin (yellow-orange pigment). Betacyanins (a form of betalains in beets) are the reg pigments in beets and betanin (beetroot red) is the most common betacyanin. Betanin is an antioxidant and a scavenger of reactive oxygen species. It exhibits gene-regulatory activity. Betanin plays a role in detoxification and may induce phase II enzymes. Betanin has been shown to possibly prevent LDL oxidation and DNA damage. The bioavailability …