Beet is a sweet root vegetable which can be eaten raw, added to dishes or made into a juice. It is a good source of minerals such as potassium, magnesium, sodium, manganese, calcium, iron, selenium, copper, zinc, with vitamins and antioxidants.

When you take beetroot juice, your stool and urine may turn red and pinkish, a harmless condition called beeturia. Taking it can provide the body with certain health benefits as shall be seen below but should be avoided by people with low blood pressure.

1. Lowers blood pressure:

Beetroot juice may help lower systolic and diastolic blood pressure. This is because of the nitrate compound in it that converts into nitric oxide in the blood and widen and relax blood vessels. It therefore follows as already noted, hypotensive patients should avoid taking it.

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2. Slows the progression of dementia:

The nitrate compound found in beetroot juice can also help increase blood flow to the brain especially to the frontal lobe in older people and help slow cognitive decline.

3. May prevent cancer:

Beets contain betalains which are water-soluble antioxidants. They have chemo-preventive abilities against some cancer cell lines. They also help fight free radicals in the body.

4. Protects the liver:

Beetroot juice can also help protect the liver. The antioxidant, betaine helps prevent or reduce fatty deposits in the liver. The betaine may also protect the liver from toxins. It also helps reduce oxidative stress on the liver.

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5. Reduce cholesterol:

Due to the phytonutrients in beetroot such as flavonoids, beetroot juice can help reduce bad cholesterol and triglycerides while also increasing the good cholesterol levels.

6. Good for pregnancy:

Beetroot juice is a good source of folate, a B vitamin that helps prevent neural tube defects such as spinal bifida and anencephaly. It can also decrease the risk of having a prematured baby.

7. Reduces inflammation:

The betalains found in beetroot juice is an antiinflammatory compound which can inhibit specific signaling pathways that play a role in inflammatory diseases.

8. Prevents anemia:

Beetroot juice is a rich source of iron which is an essential component of red blood cells as it help the red blood cells transport oxygen around the body. When the body lacks iron, this can result to anemia.