by Alex Bramwell

Created on: September 21, 2010   Last Updated: September 22, 2010

A 2009 study by the British University of Exeter found that drinking beetroot juice boosts stamina and allows people to exercise for up to 16% longer. The study, published in the Journal of Applied Physiology, suggests that the high levels of nitrate in beetroot reduces the uptake of oxygen during exercise making it less tiring. Research published in the American Heart Association journal Hypertension showed that drinking beetroot juice reduced blood pressure within one hour with the effects lasting for 24 hours. Several studies have also attributed anti inflammatory properties to beetroot and it has proved effective against cancers during in vitro testing.  Add to these remarkable properties the high levels of folate, antioxidants and vitamins in the humble purple root and you start to understand why it is being hailed as a super food.

A 100 g (3.5 oz) serving of the cooked root supplies 20% of the RDI of folate (folic acid) making a useful food for pregnant women who need to consume folic acid to reduce the risk of spina bifida. Beetroot is also rich in magnesium (6% of RDI), vitamin C (6% RDI), and the bioactive red pigment betaine, an anthocyanin that is said to protect the live and bile ducts and may lower blood pressure. Beetroot also contains several B vitamins and potassium (6% RDI), phosphorus (5% RDI) and zinc.

Beetroot is relatively rich in sugars but is low in calories and very high in fiber. A 100 g (3.5 oz) serving provides 2 grams of dietary fiber but only 43 kcal. Seven slices of beetroot or three whole baby beets count as one of your five daily portions of fruit and veg.

The health benefits of beetroot have popular knowledge for a long time; the ancient Roman's so valued its restorative powers that surviving frescos from the brothels at Pompeii contain images of beetroot. It may owe its aphrodisiac qualities to high levels of boron; an essential mineral for the production of human sex hormones.

It is not only the roots of the beet plants that are healthy. Beet greens are also edible and nutritious. A raw serving contains high levels of vitamin C (19% RDI), vitamin A (48% RDI) and vitamin K (190% RDI).

Beetroot may make your urine go pink (a harmless side effect of the red pigments it contains) and it is not one of Barak Obama's favorite foods (according to the New York Times) but it isn't half good for you!

RDI: Recommended Daily Intake

Beetroot Boosts Stamina: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/8186947.stm

Beetroot Reduces Blood Pressure: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/7228420.stm

Beet Greens Nutritional Data: http://nutritiondata.self.com/facts/vegetables-and-v egetable-products/2352/2

Beetroot Nutritional Data: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beetroot

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