Gold Beet Blog
All About Golden Beets
You’re likely familiar with red beets, which are known to contain many vitamins and minerals along with health-promoting nitrates and antioxidants. The good news here is that those are all very same components are found in golden beets!
Where golden beets differ from red beets are in the types of a certain antioxidant known as betalains they contain, which is responsible for the color differences you see.
Betalains are divided into two basic types, known as betacyanins and betaxanthins. Red beets contain betacyanins while golden beets contain betaxanthins. Regardless, both are rich in antioxidants.
But this difference opens up golden beets benefits to include another element. As with most orange- and yellow-colored plant-based foods, golden beets are known to be a rich source of beta-carotene, vitamin A, vitamin C, flavonoids, potassium, and more.
As you can see, golden beets are an incredibly rich source of many health-promoting nutrients. And that just means they offer some amazing health benefits. Let’s take a look at some of the top golden beets benefits found by researchers.
Golden Beets Benefits
Golden beets, which are sweeter than red beets, contain betaxanthins and nitrates—meaning they help lower blood pressure and fight inflammation! But that’s not all. Here are a few of the top golden beets benefits you need to know about
Help lower blood pressure
Did you know that one cup of beets offers more than 440 mg of potassium? This is important because potassium is known to be a blood pressure-lowering mineral. So, if you struggle with high blood pressure, this is one of the top golden beets benefits you’ll want to pay attention to!
So, how does it work? Well, eating potassium can actually reduce the effects of consuming sodium in your body because the more potassium you consume, the more sodium you flush out via your urine. And by negating the effects of sodium, the potassium in golden beets benefits your blood pressure levels!
In fact, one study revealed that when participants supplemented with potassium, their average blood pressure readings dropped significantly. The average blood pressure reading before supplementation was 151/93 mm Hg. After supplementation, the readings dropped, on average, to 138/88 mm Hg.
Additionally, the researchers stated that eating more potassium-rich foods would likely have the same effect on blood pressure as supplementation. That’s good news if you’re looking to capitalize on the blood pressure-lowering benefits of golden beets.
But, of course, there’s an exception here. If you already have low blood pressure, it doesn’t mean that golden beets are off limits for you. Beets help to lower your blood pressure over time—if you have high blood pressure to start with.
This means that if you have low blood pressure, you can still enjoy the other health benefits of beets without worrying about a significant drop in your blood pressure. Good news, right? Isn’t it amazing how plant-based foods help your body find its natural balance
Contain anti-inflammatory properties
Because golden beets are rich in antioxidants, they offer a powerful anti-inflammatory punch. This is one of the most important golden beets benefits you’ll encounter, since we know so many of our modern ailments can be tied back to chronic inflammation.
But just how effective are beets in fighting inflammation? Well, according to a 2016 study, patients with hypertension who consumed beet juice for two weeks displayed significantly reduced inflammatory markers. Their cholesterol levels were decreased as well while their flow mediated dilation increased.
As we’ve discussed before, inflammatory markers directly measure internal inflammation, meaning incorporating beets into your regular diet could be a great way to help prevent inflammatory-mediated conditions.
Support liver health
When it comes to golden beets benefits, you may be surprised to learn that beets are one of the top foods you should consider if you’re looking to detoxify your liver.
This benefit is due to the fact that beets contain betalain, a methyl donor and type of amino acid, which increases your enzymes to support detoxification.
Additionally, beets have been found to help thin the bile in your liver, which supports better digestion. Why is this important? Well, inadequate bile flow is linked to poor liver detoxification.
Interestingly, beets scored better than asparagus, eggplant, turnips, green beans, carrots, and cauliflower in relation to its bile acid binding abilities.
Serve as a rich source of fiber
Finally, we can’t discuss golden beets benefits without acknowledging that this root vegetable is an incredibly rich source of fiber.
With 3.8 grams of fiber per one cup serving, beets provide a nice amount of fiber, which is known to support your health in many ways.
In fact, numerous studies have shown that consuming fiber in linked to reduced risk of obesity, type 2 diabetes, cancer, and even heart disease!
Specifically, a 2018 meta-analysis confirmed that consuming 18 grams of fiber each day significantly reduced the risk of developing type 2 diabetes.
Additionally, given the skyrocketing rates of digestive concerns our nation is facing, incorporating more fiber-rich foods such as delicious golden beets is really a no-brainer.
Beets boost stamina and energy levels
Beets have significant amounts of carbohydrates to provide fuel for energy and sports activities. Researchers have noticed that oxygen intake increases by up to 16% in stamina for exercise. The high nitrate content of beets is converted into energy which is safe to ingest because of its vegetable form. Researchers have said that beetroot can improve the cycling performance in healthy adults.
Beets improve an athlete’s workout with the increase in oxygen to the blood and reduces blood pressure improving the physiological response to exercise. The improved oxygen delivery gives runners a performance boost. Studies show nitric oxide increases the efficiency of the mitochondrial (energy powerhouse).
Beets convert into energy and provide performance boosts for athletes.
Beets help your body detox
Beets support detoxification of the whole body and strengthen the immune system. Beetroot extract helps to get rid of free radicals from your body’s cells.
Studies have shown that beetroot is one of the most potent antioxidant drinks of all the vegetable and fruit juices. The betalin pigments in beets assist the phase two detoxification process. Broken down toxins are bound to other molecules so they can be excreted from your body. This helps purify your blood and your liver.
Beets are a unique source of phytonutrients called betalains. Betanin and vulgaxanthin are two best studied betalains and both have been shown to provide antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and detoxification support.
Beets can help detoxify the whole body and strengthen the immune system.