Beetroot, A Hearty Vegetable

With the rise in cardiovascular diseases in the world, many of us have adapted lifestyle changes to prevent such diseases with exercise, eating less processed meals and generally practicing what is healthy. Our diet plays a key role in overall health and hence in order to improve health it is one of the key areas in our lifestyle to look at.

Beetroot is a vegetable which is used quite commonly in salads, smoothies, and juices. It has a distinct red color and brings some vibrance to food/juices.

Aside the vibrance and fun this vegetable brings to food, it possesses high medicinal value especially for the cardiovascular system. This benefit is attributed to the high level of dietary nitrate found in Beetroot. Some studies have shown that dietary nitrate acts as a physiological substrate for nitric oxide production in the body (a necessary compound for vasodilation and reduction in blood pressure). This makes Beetroot a great option when looking for food to boost cardiovascular health.

Dietary nitrates are not the only nutrients Beetroot contain. It contains betanin (an immune enhancing compound), antioxidant substances, dietary fiber, minerals (potassium, sodium, iron etc) and vitamins (ascorbic acid, vitamin B, retinol).
Adding Beetroot to your diet can help promote cardiovascular health and to benefit greatly it has to be consistent and in appropriate amounts to have a constant supply of dietary nitrates.