Beetroot juice / Beetroot juice

Beetroot juice is both tasty and a great alternative to the juices we usually drink.

In addition, beetroot juice is extremely healthy; it lowers blood pressure, increases our endurance during physical activity and can possibly be used to treat certain health problems.

In recent years, beetroot juice has been marketed as a sports drink that can significantly improve our performance during exercise – and this is not without reason, as many athletes feel that the juice makes them faster and it has long been scientifically proven that the juice can increase our endurance.

The effect ofbeetroot juice on health

Even though beetroot has the highest sugar content of all vegetables, most people can afford to eat it a couple of times a week. In the same way, of course, you can also afford to drink beetroot juice a couple of times a week.

The health benefits of beetroot are thought to be due to its high nitrate content. Other natural sources of nitrates are radishes, lettuce, celery and Chinese cabbage.

When drinking beetroot juice, you may notice that your urine and feces turn reddish, which is of course due to the plant dyes in the beetroot. This phenomenon is harmless and completely natural.

Below you can read about some of the beneficial effects of beetroot juice that have been investigated in scientific studies:

Blood pressure

When you drink beetroot juice, your blood pressure is lowered after just a few hours. In the average person, this lowering will take place already 6 hours after consuming the juice.

This effect is most likely due to the natural content of nitrates in beetroot juice, which are converted to nitric oxide in the body. Nitric oxide causes the blood vessels to dilate, which improves blood circulation and thereby reduces blood pressure.

Endurance

It's old news by now that beetroot juice can increase our endurance during physical activity. Read more about this in the section ‘Beetroot juice and exercise' below.

Inflammation

Beetroot is a unique source of betaines, which are plant nutrients that protect cells, proteins and enzymes from environmental influences and stress.

Betaines are also well known for their ability to fight inflammation, protect internal organs, improve vascular risk factors, boost performance and possibly fight several chronic diseases. Although beetroot juice has not been scientifically proven to have all these effects on health, the high betaine content of beetroot illustrates its health potential.

Cancer

The phytonutrients that give beets their deep red color may be used to fight cancer. Studies have shown that beetroot extract can reduce cancerous tumors that affect multiple organs. These studies have only been conducted on animals, but research is continuing to investigate the effects of beetroot extract on breast, prostate and pancreatic cancer in humans.

Nutrition

Beetroot and beetroot juice are high in vitamin C, fiber and essential minerals such as potassium (important for a healthy nervous system and optimal muscle function) and manganese (beneficial for the bones, liver, kidneys and pancreas). Beetroot also contains folate, which reduces the risk of birth defects, among other things.

The effect of beetroot juice on exercise

There have been numerous studies confirming that beetroot juice increases our endurance and thus has a positive effect on exercise.

In one of the first studies from 1985, 8 participants drank beetroot juice for 6 consecutive days before training. After 4-6 days, a difference in the concentration of nitrite in the blood could already be measured and the conclusion was that the beetroot juice enabled the participants to exercise for up to 16% longer.

In practice, beetroot juice is mainly used by runners and cyclists. Athletes in particular find that the juice makes them faster and more enduring.

As with blood pressure, the nitrate content of beetroot juice is thought to be responsible for its effect on our ability to exercise – but the mechanism is different; when the nitrates are converted to nitrogen monoxide in the body, they reduce oxygen consumption during low-intensity exercise and improve tolerance during high-intensity exercise. In this way, our overall performance during exercise is improved when we drink beetroot juice.

Skeptics

Although there is a consensus that beetroot juice has a beneficial effect on our performance, some researchers believe that the juice does not work on elite athletes. This is partly because elite athletes have a biological system that is already so well optimized that it cannot take advantage of the juice's properties.

This skepticism is based on a 2012 study from Norway, which tested 10 Norwegian elite cross-country runners and concluded that beetroot juice had no effect. However, it should be noted that the trial was poorly designed, as they:

• firstly, they were given concentrated beetroot juice – and not pure beetroot juice, which has been the basis of previous scientific studies on the effects of juice on the body
• Secondly, they only gave them the juice concentrate a few hours before training – and not several days in advance, as was the case in the 1985 trial

In sports circles, beetroot juice is still considered a good natural performance-enhancing drink and athletes can therefore benefit from drinking beetroot juice in the days leading up to training, competitions etc.

Caffeine

A 2013 UK study found that cyclists (and probably other athletes) who drink beetroot juice and caffeine tend to become addicted to the combination.

This may not be the case for the average athlete, but it's still worth bearing in mind if you're taking some forms of caffeine supplements while drinking beetroot juice.

Beetroot greens

If you buy beetroots at the greengrocer or market, they sometimes come with their green tops. These top shoots are the healthiest part of the beetroot plant and can be eaten. They are rich in the following nutrients, vitamins and minerals:

Beetroot juice recipes

Beetroot juice can of course be made by simply running beetroot through a juicer, but very often you get a better result if you combine the beetroot with one or more vegetables.

Juice with beetroot, carrots and celery

Ingredients

• 1 small beetroot
• 2 large carrots
• 1 stalk of celery

Method of preparation

• Scrub all vegetables under running water
• Remove the tops of the carrots and beetroot
• If the beetroot peel is tough, you should peel it – otherwise you can leave it alone
• Cut all the vegetables into smaller pieces to fit your juicer
• Run them through the juicer

You now have a healthy and tasty beetroot juice!

Beetroot, carrot and pineapple juice

Ingredients

• 1 small beetroot
• ½ carrot
• 1 cup of pineapple chunks

Method of preparation

• Scrub the carrot and beetroot under running water
• Remove the tops of the carrot and beetroot
• You can peel the beetroot if its skin is tough – otherwise you should not peel it
• Cut the carrot and beetroot into suitable pieces
• Run the vegetables and pineapple through the juicer

You now have a ready-made beetroot juice with an exotic twist!