Benefits of Beetroot Lenworth Frankson High blood pressure, which is alsocalled hypertension, is a dangerous health condition that affects one?s lifestyle and the normal functioning of the heart. High blood pressure can lead to early blood vessel damage in addition to several heart diseases which may ultimately lead to heart failure. In addition to the risk of heart disease, kidney problems and stroke are also greater with high blood pressure. High blood pressure is a life-threatening condition which needs proper medical attention once it is diagnosed in a person. There are not many symptoms of high blood pressure and that is why we should have our blood pressure tested regularly. For most people who suffer from high blood pressure taking prescribed medications is the only solution they know. However, there are several home remedies that are effective in lowering high blood pressure. Beetroot juice is one such natural cure for hypertension. Beetroot which is also called beet is one of the most popular vegetables used across the globe. The dark red roots of beet are consumed in various forms like raw, boiled, saut?ed, stewed, etc. but for me, the most effective way to have it is to extract the pure natural juice from the tuber and then drink it. The benefits of beet juice are now being researched and it is now highly recommended that we include beet juice in our everyday diet as a cure and preventative of many ailments and illnesses and also to improve the overall health of a person. This vegetable is a good tonic food for health. It contains carbohydrates, mainly in the form of sugar, and it has a little protein and fat. Beet is taken in a variety of ways. The skin should be removed before use. The leaves, like all green vegetables, should be cooked with a small amount of water and for only a short time. The fresher the beets, the better the flavor and the quicker they cook. The juice of the beet is considered one of the best vegetable juices. It is a rich source of natural sugar. It contains sodium, potassium, phosphorus, calcium, sulphur, chlorine, iodine, iron, copper, and vitamins A, B1, B2, B6 and C Beets are on the top of the list of the foods used to control and lower high blood pressure. If you drink 250 ? 500ml (one to two eight ounce glasses) of beetroot juice every day, it can significantly reduce your blood pressure, according to research done by Professor Amrita Ahluwalia of the William Harvey Research Institute at Barts and The London School of Medicine, and Professor Ben Benjamin of Peninsula Medical School. From the research it was suggested that the nitrate contained within beetroot juice and also in green leafy vegetables reacted with bacteria in the mouth which resulted in blood vessels dilating to increase blood flow which resulted ultimately in decreased blood pressure. When healthy volunteers drank the juice their blood pressure dropped within one hour. The peak drop in blood pressure happened 3 - 4 hours after chewing and swallowing but it went on dropping gradually for up to 24 hours. Beetroot is chewed or the juice drunk and the saliva in the mouth is thoroughly mixed along with the bacteria from the mouth. It is then converted into nitrite. The nitrite food is then swallowed with the saliva and another chemical reaction takes place in the stomach as the stomach?s acid mixes with it. It is believed that the nitrite mixed saliva turns to nitric oxide or reenters the circulation again as nitrite. It is this nitrate rich compound that helps support a healthy vascular system which includes the dilation of the blood vehicles, allowing more blood to flow. The lowest levels of blood pressure in the subjects used in this research coincided with the time of highest nitrite levels in their blood. It is important to mention at this point that the method of consuming the juice in order to convert the nitrates to beneficial nitrite may be disturbing to some. It is not practical on a regular basis to do this because to gain the maximum benefit it requires thoroughly mixing the beetroot juice with saliva and swallowing the mixture. After the initial consumption you need to continue producing saliva and swallowing it over the next few hours. Natural Benefits Beets are of great therapeutic value. They have properties to clean the kidneys and gall bladder in addition to their great benefit in treating high blood pressure. In fact, generally speaking, the large number of nutrients and minerals present in this vegetable make it a provider and promoter for all-round health. Anemia: Red beet juice is associated with the formation of good healthy human blood. Due to its higher content of iron, it regenerates and reactivates the red blood cells, supplies fresh oxy-gen to the body and helps the normal function of breathing. The juice strengthens the body?s powers to resist disease and has proved to be an excellent remedy for anemia. Digestive Disorders : Beet is used in the treatment of jaundice, hepatitis, nausea and vomiting due to biliousness, diarrhea and dysentery. Adding a teaspoonful of lime juice to beet juice increases its medicinal value. The juice taken with a little honey in the morning is recommended for the treatment of ulcer. Constipation and Piles : The cellulose content ? high fiber ? of the beet acts as a bulk residue which increases and supports the movement of the food through the digestive tract. Circulatory Disorders : Beet juice is known for dissolving inorganic calcium deposits in the body therefore it can be used in the treatment of hypertension, arteriosclerosis, heart trouble and varicose veins. Kidney & Gall Bladder : The juice mixed with the juice of carrot and cucumber, is excellent for cleansing our kidneys and gall bladder. It can be used when treating other diseases relating to these organs. Skin Disorders : The water in which beet roots and tops have been boiled is an excellent application for boils, skin inflammation and out breaks of pimples and pustules. Mixed with a little vinegar it can be used as a skin wash in cases of measles and eruptive fevers. The juice by itself also helps eliminate blemishes and promotes healthy skin and hair growth. Dandruff : Applying the water from boiled beets mixed with a little vinegar to the scalp is a good way to externally cleanse scurf or dandruff from the head. For dandruff, the beet water should also be massaged into the scalp with the finger tips every night. Blood Cooling and Purification: A well known benefit of beet juice is its blood cooling and blood purifying ability. This can be attributed to the rich iron content of the juice. Stress: Beets contain a type of antioxidant that is known to prevent oxidative stress that is common among people of all ages today. Cholesterol: One of the important health benefits of beet juice is its ability to lower bad cholesterol levels and raise good cholesterol levels in the body. Cancer: Beet juice contains a compound that helps prevent the formation of cancerous tumors and also detoxifies the body of many harmful toxins. It is therefore beneficial in the prevention of cancer including colon cancer. Birth Defects: Beet juice is known to prevent various birth defects in babies because of the B vitamins and folic acid that it contains. Stamina: Another health benefit of drinking beet juice is increased stamina. When tested on an exercise bike the rate at which the participant?s muscles used up energy and oxygen was found to be slowed. This is because the nitrate it contains reduces the oxygen uptake which reduces fatigue and increases stamina. I am not an expert in health but some things are clear and simple enough to be understood and appreciated. Adding beets to one?s diet is one of those things. The benefits of consuming beets whether by chewing or drinking the rosy red juice are astounding. Research on beetroot is continuing and I expect that there are more interesting things to be discovered but while we are waiting let us utilize all the benefits that beetroot has to offer. Hypertension is a serious health condition that affects millions but we now have scientific proof that adding beets to our diet can help. God has given us plants with their healing properties for our consumption and we owe it to ourselves to be educated in their healing properties. Learning about beets and their benefits is certainly a blessing.
